Peaks and Valleys
by ohalaskayoung
Summary: "That's the thing about running. You spend months, years, thinking about doing it but never working up the courage. And then suddenly you're gone, and you feel free, but it comes with a price. Once you decide to run, you can never stop." Katniss Everdeen finds solace with certain blue-eyed baker. AU. Mature Themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my new fic, everyone! This is an AU inspired loosely by the book Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. This is rated M for a reason- it contains strong language, lemons, violence and varying forms of abuse. **

**A huge thank you goes out to my beta, wollaston, without whom I don't think I could have published this. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Prologue****.**

**May 19th, 2013**

_I'm so stupid_.

The girl with dark braided hair pulled out a thick wad of bills and threw them at the teller. "One way ticket to Capitol City, please."

_It was supposed to be nice._

The elderly woman with curly white hair smiled warmly at her as she passed her the thick paper. "That's a long journey you've got ahead of you. Almost ten hours."

_It all went wrong._

The dark haired girl shoved her ticket into her pocket and nodded at the woman. She flipped the hood of her sweatshirt up over her face and readjusted the leather bag on her shoulder.

A voice rang out over the loudspeaker and announced that Bus 1934 would be departing to Capitol City momentarily. The girl sprinted through the throngs of travelers back outside, where it had begun to pour. Through the thick strips of rain she could see the lines of buses, and she ran toward the one with the number corresponding to her ticket.

"Hold the door!" she shouted as she saw the last passenger step on. "Please!"

The driver looked at her strangely as she catapulted herself up into the vehicle. "Ticket, please?"

She flashed him the damp paper and he waved her past. The girl hurried down the aisle and shoved herself into a window seat in the second to last row.

_Please go, please go, please go, please._

The hiss and rumble of the engine shot a wave of relief through her body, but she wasn't out of the woods yet. The bus moved a few feet forward, barely picking up speed before it hissed to a stop.

"Excuse me!" A deep, manly voice called. "Do you mind if I look aboard?"

"Not at all, Officer," the driver replied.

_No, no, no, no, please God, no._

Heavy footsteps resounded in the girl's mind as they slowly came closer. Her feet were shaking and a thin sheen of sweat broke out across her forehead. Quickly, she shoved her leather bag under her sweatshirt and arranged it so it mimicked the belly of a pregnant woman. She rested her hand on the ribs and tucked her braid into her hood. The footsteps got closer, and she turned her head towards the window with closed eyes and prayed.

The footsteps stopped. She could hear heavy, familiar breathing and her heart came to a stop all together.

_It all went wrong._

"Well!" The footsteps retreated. "Everything seems to be in order. Safe travels, everyone."

"Thank you, Officer. Have a good night."

The footsteps were gone altogether and the bus began moving again. The young woman let out a long, shaking breath.

"Thank you, Lord," she breathed. She had never been overly religious, but as some smart man unbeknownst to her once said, 'There were no atheists in a foxhole.'

She only wished she was in a war. That meant that each side stood an equal chance of winning. She would lose. She always lost.

He made sure of that.

* * *

**Chapter One will be posted tomorrow night! Thank you all for reading. :)**

******I'm 'ohalaskayoung' on tumblr if you ever want to chat.**

**xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hugs and kisses to wollaston for her help with this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter One.**

**May 20th, 2013**

The young woman woke with a start, not even realizing she had drifted off. The bus screeched to a stop, and she banged her head against the cool Plexiglas of the window. She surveyed the rest of the bus and tenderly rubbed her forehead and noticed with a shock that half of the passengers were gone.

"Excuse me, miss," the driver said, looking back at her through the rearview mirror. "Perhaps you might want to get up and stretch your legs a little? Get a bite to eat?"

The woman nodded slowly and stood on shaky legs. She threw her bag over her shoulder and walked down the aisle.

"Where exactly are we?" she asked the driver timidly. He offered her a kind smile.

"Panem, North Carolina," he told her. "It'll be another four hours or so until we hit Capitol City."

"Thank you," she said, and moved to step off the bus.

"Oh, and miss?" the driver said. "I'll be done refueling in about five minutes, and we leave in ten, so make sure you're back by then. I wouldn't want to leave without you."

The brunette nodded to the man and stepped down onto the gravel. It crackled beneath her feet as she made her way across the street. Lined in a cookie-cutter fashion was a post office, a general store, and bait and tackle shop-which indicated to the woman that there was a lake or a river nearby. She smiled. She hadn't felt the cool calm of the water licking her toes in years.

Her nose twitched at the smell of fresh bread, and her eyes twitched to the right, where a small but sturdy looking building sat, just a few feet away from the others but far enough to be a separate entity.

_Mellark & Sons: Freshly Baked Goods Since 1981. _

She drifted over towards the front of the bakery. A few of the bus passengers had wandered in and where cooing over what was behind the glass in the display cases. In the front window were three intricately decorated cakes, each one with a different yet equally astounding design. The sight of them triggered a grumble in her belly, reminding her that her last meal was almost two days ago. She went inside.

Almost immediately she was assaulted by an array of delightful aromas. She could place most of them; blueberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon raisin bagels. A petite redhead brushed hurried towards the door with a fussing baby in her arms. The young woman shrank away from the pair.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

The woman's head snapped up to the counter, where a young man with a mop of blonde hair leaned cockily against the wood. He wore an apron stained with flour and icing over a thin white tee, and even from her spot across the room the woman could still make out the shining blue of his eyes.

"Um, yes," she said softly, making her way towards him. "Just a blueberry muffin, please." It was one of the least expensive items on the menu hanging above the counter. The woman placed her leather bag on the counter and unzipped it. She fingered the inside pocket, feeling for the few bills she had left. They needed to last her a while.

"That's all?" the man asked with a smile. "Skinny little thing like yourself needs something with a bit more sustenance, don't you think?"

"Just the muffin," she repeated sternly. "Please."

"Whatever you say," Blondie said with a shrug. "That'll be one seventy-five."

A pale hand gave him two singles, and he returned to them a shiny quarter without missing a beat. The man turned and called over his shoulder.

"Hey, Haymitch, are you trying to make friends with the pastries? Where the hell are the muffins?"

An older, taller man with stubble and a scowl emerged from the kitchen, a tray of muffins in his hands. "Don't get your panties in a twist," he grumbled. "Do you want 'em baked or not?

"Whatever, old man."

The woman watched in amusement as the two men bickered. Finally, the younger one picked up a blueberry muffin from the tray and wrapped it in saran wrap. He grabbed a brown bag from underneath the counter as the older man, Haymitch, placed the tray on a rack to cool.

"Here you go, beautiful." Blondie held out the bag. "I'm Rye, by the way. Rye Mellark, and this-" he jerked his thumb behind me, "is my uncle, Haymitch."

"Nice to meet you," mumbled the woman, but she did not offer up her name. There was an awkward pause before Rye spoke again.

"Are you new in town or are you just passing through?"

"Passing through," she said. The heat of the muffin turned the brown bag moist in her hands. "I should be going now, actually."

"Well, it was splendid to meet you," Rye said with a wink. "Safe travels, beautiful."

"Thank you." The woman ducked her head and left the bakery.

A few minutes later, the bus doors reopened and its passengers began to board. The brunette wiped the muffin crumbs off her shirt and stood up from her spot on the bench outside of the bakery. She tossed the empty brown bag into the nearest trashcan and began to make her way towards the bus.

As she walked, she ran a hand over her braid, and was surprised when it felt loose between her fingers. Throughout the whole trip it had been getting caught in the strap of her bag-

"Shit!" she cried, catching the attention of a few passerby. She had left her bag in the bakery.

Quickly, she turned on her heel and hastened back to the establishment. The bus would be leaving any second and getting left behind was not part of the plan.

The bell above the door tinkled as she opened it, and Rye grinned at her from behind the counter. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

The bakery was empty, and her hurried footsteps echoed loudly as she walked. Rye reached underneath the counter and produced her brown leather bag. He dangled it from his pinky as she approached.

"Thanks," she said lowly, reaching for it. At the last second Rye pulled it away.

"Now, now," he said playfully. "Don't you think I deserve a reward of sorts-"

"Rye!"

Another man exited the kitchen, carrying a tray full of some sort of roll. He was maybe an inch or two shorter than Rye, with the same tousled blonde locks.

"Stop harassing the poor woman and go roll some dough."

Rye scoffed, but gave the uncomfortable looking girl her bag just the same. She took it gratefully and double-checked its contents.

"You'll have to excuse my brother," the new man said, putting the tray on the rack. "He gets a little overexcited around women. Probably due to the fact that he didn't have a date until he was-"

"Alright, alright!" Rye cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'll go roll some stupid dough. But not because you told me to, little brother. I happen to have very _talented_ hands." And with a waggle of his eyebrows, Rye was gone.

The young woman chuckled and nervously played with the tip of her braid. As if sensing her discomfort, the man picked up a roll from the tray and placed it on a napkin, then slid it in front of her on the counter. Her stomach roared when the scent of it drifted up to her nostrils.

"It's a cheese bun," he said with an easy smile. His eyes were blue, like his brothers, but the color seemed to fade and intensify as it swirled around his pupil. The woman found herself staring, quite unabashedly, until he blinked and she shook herself back into reality.

The cheese bun sitting before her smelled like Heaven on Earth. She timidly sniffed the air again, and her stomach responded. But then she did a mental tally of the bills in her bag, and shook her head.

"No, thank you," she said. "I don't have much money and I need to save it-"

"On the house," he told her, moving the bun a few inches towards her. "I insist."

_We don't take charity._

This rule had been drilled into her head over and over.

_Am I not good enough? Do I not provide enough for us? _

He had screamed it at her over and over again.

_Do you really want to be somebody's pity case? Are you that worthless?_

Without a second thought, she grabbed the bun and took a bite. It took all of her self control to keep from moaning out loud. It was like nothing she'd ever tasted before. Who cares if the man was pitying her. She had food and He wasn't here to say anything about it.

A loud hiss almost made her choke. She whirled around and saw the bus slowly turn onto the main road and begin to drive. Still as a statue she watched as it picked up speed and drove past the bakery.

_Go. Move. You need to be on that bus!_ she screamed at herself. But her feet stayed planted on the floor. Soon the bus was completely out of view.

"What's wrong?" A hand on her elbow made her flinch. She turned to find Rye's brother staring at her, his brow furrowed in concern. "Were you supposed to be on that bus?"

_Yes. _

"No," she said, surprising herself. "No, I wasn't."

"Then you're new in town?"

She nodded, taking another bite of the delicious cheese bun. Rye's brother smiled widely and extended a hand.

"Well, welcome to Panem. My name's Peeta Mellark."

Gingerly, she let her hand be encompassed by his. Peeta's hands were huge and warm. They completely covered hers and she was surprised to find his grip to be firm yet gentle.

"Katniss," she told him. "Katniss Everdeen."

* * *

**Alas, our journey has begun. What do you guys think so far? Thanks for reading!**

******I'm 'ohalaskayoung' on tumblr if you ever want to chat.**

**xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my lovelies! I just saw Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters today and it was _so_ good. Although I might be a bit biased because I'm slightly in love with Jake Abel...anyway, here is Chapter Two!**

**Thank you all so much for your kind reviews. It means the world to me. **

**And just a PSA: wollaston is the best beta in the world so y'all should send her some love. Just sayin'. **

* * *

**Chapter ****Two.**

**May 21st, 2013**

Last night marked the first night Katniss Everdeen had ever slept outside. Growing up, she had spent a lot of time outdoors, and it was her ability to climb trees that had given her some form of shelter for the night. Her leather bag had acted as a makeshift pillow, but she still awoke with a sore neck and aching back.

_That's what you get for missing the bus,_ she thought. _Damn Peeta Mellark for distracting me._

_But you missed the bus on purpose,_ she argued with herself. _Peeta Mellark had nothing to do with it. It's not his fault you couldn't find a place to stay._

After leaving _Mellark and Sons_, Katniss had wandered around the town before entering the bait and tackle shop. The elderly woman behind the counter, who had introduced herself as Greasy Sae, had directed Katniss to the town's marina.

"Just keep going down Main Street until you start to smell the water," she had told her. "It's a little inlet, but if you follow the jetties far enough along you'll be met with the good old Atlantic."

So that's what she did. Katniss wandered down to the marina, admired the boats docked there and watched some teens jet ski across the water. Once the sun began to set she started to head back toward town, aiming to find a motel of sorts.

"I'm so sorry," said the woman behind the front desk of _Panem's Most Comfortable Motel_. Funny enough, it happened to be Panem's _only_ motel. And it had absolutely no vacancies. "The Gentleman's Fisherman Club is in town for the weekend and they took every last room. Though if you give me your phone number I'll be happy to give you a call if a room becomes available."

"No, it's quite alright," Katniss said politely. She didn't bother mentioning that she hadn't owned a phone since she was eighteen.

She passed by the bakery again, on her way back from the motel. Peeking into the window, she saw that Rye was once again at the front counter, chatting animatedly with a young couple.

The man was tall and even just looking at him from the back Katniss could tell that he was gorgeous. He had tousled bronze hair and strong shoulders, and his posture told her that he knew just how good he looked. His arm was wrapped securely around the waist of the petite girl at his side. Her hair was wispy and black as night, falling down to the curve of her waist. She looked mildly uncomfortable- her arms were wrapped around herself and her head was slightly bowed. But she leaned into the side of her boyfriend or husband or lover, and Katniss could just make out his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back.

Katniss left when she saw Peeta Mellark emerge from the back room, a sack of flour over his shoulder and the muscles in his arm straining against his thin white tee.

And so she meandered down enough side roads to find herself at the edge of the woods. Without hesitation she began her trek through the overgrowth until she found a tree of suitable height and girth, and there she stayed for the night.

_I'll check the motel again in the morning_, she told herself before falling asleep.

And that was the plan.

Katniss pulled a leaf from the remnants of her braid and cracked her neck. With a groan, she began to shimmy down the trunk of the tree. The grass was moist from the morning dew, so she unlaced her boots and padded barefoot further into the woods, in search of some form of water to rinse herself off in. After walking for about half a mile, the ground beneath her started to grow more damp and muddy, and flies began to swarm around her head. Soon enough, the river came into view. The current wasn't too strong, and there were a few decent-sized rocks lining the bank.

"Perfect," Katniss said to herself.

After carefully searching the area for any people -not that she expected there to be any- Katniss stripped off her clothes and waded into the river. The cool water rushing around her raised goosebumps over her skin.

Holding her clothes in a bundle in her arms, Katniss waded out a few feet from the rocks, until the water was just below her breasts. There she began to soak each article of clothing, ridding them of the previous day's grime. Once all of her clothes were thoroughly washed, she laid them out on the rocks to dry and turned her attention to herself.

Her hair was a snarled mess, and when she unwound it from her braid it stuck together in greasy clumps. The taste in her mouth was dry and foul, like an animal had died in there overnight. She gargled with some river water, but it did little to rectify the situation. She'd have to find some toothpaste in town, after she found a place to stay.

Katniss took a deep breath and then sunk underwater.

* * *

_June 23rd, 2007_

_The graduates of District Twelve Senior High School had already thrown their caps to the sky and left the school grounds to attend their respective parties. The air was thick and humid but held a distinct smell of freedom that would normally put a person in a good mood. Catherine Crane, however, wandered the woods behind the school with a melancholy expression on her face._

_"Is this where the cool kids hang out now?" said a voice from behind her. She whirled around defensively and saw a tall, dark-haired boy-_man_- lounging against the side of a tree. She recognized him, albeit vaguely, from the graduating class two years prior._

_"Excuse me?" she snapped. This was _her _place._

_"I mean, back when I was in school the place to be was beneath the bleachers, but if the woods is in now then I guess I can dig it." The man walked towards her with a cocky swagger and flashed a smile._

_"I-I have to go," Catherine mumbled. She turned and was heading back towards the school grounds when a strong, warm hand grasped her arm over the fabric of the red gown she wore._

_"Hey, don't run away from me," the man said. Catherine wrenched her arm from his grip._

_"Please leave me alone."_

_"Come on, Gorgeous, don't be like that."_

_Catherine froze. Never in her life had she ever been referred to as pretty, let alone gorgeous. She turned back to the man._

_He smiled at her and ran his fingers through her thick blonde locks. Catherine had let her best friend Johanna convince her to dye her waist-length tresses a shining honey blonde the day before. As the man let the strands fall between his fingers, she was glad she hadn't resisted._

_"What's your name?" he queried softly. His fingers brushed her neck and she shivered._

_"Catherine," she whispered in response._

_"Huh? Catnip?"_

_"No." She shook her head. "_Catherine_. Catherine Crane."_

_"Well, Catherine Crane," the man said, stepping closer. "I'd very much like it if you stayed here with me for a while. Okay?"_

_Catherine nodded. "Okay."_

_He took her hand and led her to a fallen log a few yards into the greenery. He sat down, patting the spot next to him. She timidly sat and folded her hands on her lap. There was enough space between them to fit another person._

_"Don't be shy, Gorgeous Catherine," he purred, inching closer. "We're friends, aren't we?"_

_Catherine shrugged. "I don't even know your name."_

_He laughed and threw a sinewy arm over her petite shoulders. "If I told you my name, would you consider us friends?"_

_Catherine shrugged infinitesimally, not meeting his eyes._

_"I guess so."_

_A hand crossed her line of vision. She looked at the man, who was grinning wolfishly, and then back at the hand that was almost bigger than her face._

_She shook it once._

_"It's very nice to meet you, Catherine Crane," he said roughly. "My name is Gale Hawthorne."_

* * *

**May 21st, 2013**

"Well, would you look who it is," Rye Mellark said dryly as Katniss stepped over the threshold and into the bakery. He was at the front counter again, wiping it down with a rag that he threw over his shoulder when he saw her enter. "What happened to you 'just passing through'?"

"Plans change," Katniss said with a smirk as she approached the counter.

"I know what happened," Rye muttered, leaning in conspiringly. "You got a taste and came back for more, didn't you, beautiful?"

"I did," Katniss whispered. Rye's eyes widened slightly before his smirk widened. "Of the cheese buns."

"Cheese buns?" Rye furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side. "What are you talki- Peeta!"

Peeta ran out of the kitchen, frantic. "What is it? What's wrong- Oh." Then, a sheepish grin. "Hey, Katniss."

"Oh, so you tell _him_ your name, huh?" Rye said. He turned to glare at his brother. "You just _had_ to give her some cheese buns, didn't you?"

"Um, guys-" Katniss said softly.

"What are you talking about, I just offered her one-"

"You _know_ that cheese buns always win over the ladies."

"Excuse me?" Katniss drummed her fingers impatiently on the countertop.

"I wasn't trying to win over anyone, I was just being friendly."

"Keep telling yourself that, man."

"BOYS!" Katniss yelled, finally catching the attention of the brothers. "If you don't mind, I have a question."

Peeta's faced flushed an embarrassing shade of crimson. "Of course," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. We get a bit sidetracked sometimes."

Rye scoffed. "Are you shittin' me? I'm surprised we get any work done around here. Between Haymitch's drunkenness and my general dumbass-ery, it's a miracle we stay afloat."

The hunger pains in Katniss' stomach were growing increasingly painful, but she ignored them. _There will be no food until she secured a place to stay_, she told herself.

"_So_, Katniss," Peeta said exasperatedly. "How can I help you?"

"I thought I was helping y-"

"Rye Mellark get your ass into this kitchen right now!" Haymitch slurred from the back room. He opened the door and leaned against the frame, a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand. "And don't make me use your middle name."

"What's your middle name?" Katniss asked. Rye's eyes widened and he shook his head furiously.

"I don't have one. They just like to-"

"Oh, he has one alright," Haymitch said, grinning wickedly. "It's right there on his birth certificate. Rye E-"

"For fuck's sake, Haymitch!" Rye cried, nearly tackling the man to the ground.

"Get in there," Haymitch chuckled, shoving Rye off him and into the kitchen. "And you'll stay in there if ya know what's good for ya."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled.

Peeta turned stiffly to Katniss, as if waiting for another interruption. He waited a few seconds before taking a deep breath.

"Alright, Katniss, you have my undivided attention."

She snickered, running her fingers over her braid. "I just wanted to see if I could borrow your phone?" she asked, nodding in the direction of the cordless phone she had noticed the day prior, sitting in is cradle on the wall.

"Oh! Yeah, sure, of course." He handed her the phone without hesitation. "If your hear any beeping just let me know. This is the business line so we might be getting a call."

"I'll be quick," she assured him. "Thank you."

Katniss took the phone to the other side of the store and Peeta busied himself with rearranging the cookie display.

"Good afternoon, this is Panem's Most Comfortable Motel," said the employee after Katniss dialed the number she had remembered from the day before. "How may I help you today?"

"Hello, I was just wondering if you had any vacancies for this evening?" _And every day after that_, she thought to herself.

"No, I'm sorry, we're all booked up for a while now."

Katniss squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples.

"Are you absolutely sure? You don't have _anything_?"

"No, ma'am, we are completely booked. Not a single room available. I'm quite sorry."

"It's alright," Katniss groaned. "What about working opportunities? Are you hiring?"

"We're actually letting in the process of letting a few of our employees go. Budget cuts and all that," the desk worker said airily.

"Alright then. Thanks anyway." Katniss hung up quickly and put her head in her hands.

"It was worth a shot," she sighed to herself before straightening up and turning around.

Peeta jumped, and quickly tried to hide the fact that he was listening. Katniss handed him the phone and made to leave.

"Thank you, Peeta," she said, heading for the door. "I'll see you around, I guess."

_Another night in the woods it is_.

"Katniss, wait!" Peeta called. He strode around the counter and met her at the door. "I, uh, couldn't help overhearing your conversation and I have a proposition for you."

Katniss arched an eyebrow. "Um, okay. Shoot."

"My brother and Uncle Haymitch and I, we live above the bakery. It's kind of like an apartment," Peeta explained. "My other brother used to live with us, but he moved out a few years ago and we've been renting out the spare room ever since. It's been a few months since we last had a tenant and I was thinki-"

"Peeta," Katniss said with a frown. "Thank you, but I can't accept that, I'm sorry. I don't have any means of income right now and-"

"Then work here at the bakery!" he said. "Rye was just talking about how much of a mess we are. We could use the extra help."

"I don't know how to bake!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, Peeta, really, but I'll just-"

"Tell me where you're staying then," Peeta said firmly. "Because I know you're not staying at the motel."

"I'm, uh, staying with a friend for a few days."

"Who?" Peeta pressed, his lips set into a firm line.

"Clove Fairweather," Katniss spat out, recalling the name of a childhood friend.

"I know everyone in this town and there isn't a single Clove Fairweather, Katniss Everdeen."

Katniss gave Peeta a steely glare. "Peeta. Let me figure this out on my own."

"I know you spent the night in the woods," Peeta snapped. "You smell like the river water and you have a piece of seaweed in your hair."

Katniss patted at her scalp furiously. "Whatever, Peeta, I'm fine."

"Listen. If you work here at the bakery you can live upstairs for free. And you don't need to bake. All you need to do is answer some phone calls, help some customers, and help take inventory. That's all."

She rubbed at her eyes, where a dull throbbing was beginning to form. "Peeta..."

"Come on, Katniss. Take a chance."

"Yeah, Katniss!" Rye called from the kitchen. "I'd love to get to know you better."

Katniss fought a grin from forming. "Well, now I'm convinced I should leave."

"Peeta's voice dropped to a whisper. "Please, Katniss." He looked out the door, and suddenly he was smiling. "Actually, it looks like you'll have to say yes."

"And why's that?"

He pointed to the sky. "Because a storm just rolled in, and it looks like it's going to last for a while."

As if cued, thunder rumbled through the sky and rain began to pour.

Katniss eyes Peeta, who had his hands in his pockets and was rocking back and forth on his heels, looking almost obnoxiously cute.

"Fine," she told him, finally smiling. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Mellark."

* * *

**Yay, roomies! What are you guys thinking so far? What do you think will happpen with Gale and Catherine? Or Katniss and Peeta? I'd love to hear from all of you. **

**As always, I'm on tumblr as 'ohalaskayoung' if you ever want to chat. I post sneak peaks of new chapters every Sunday! **

**Stay tuned for next Wednesday's update. Thank you all so much for reading. I love all of you dearly.**

**xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's that time of the week again. Today is the day the Vampire Academy trailer is released! For those of you who haven't read those books- DO IT. They are _so_ great. **

**Muchas gracias to the most kick-ass beta ever, wollaston. She's the bomb diggity, yo. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter ****Three.**

**May 22nd, 2013**

"Wakey, wakey, Sunshine."

Something was thrown over Katniss' face, and she smacked it off as she jolted awake. The covers were pulled up to her neck, and she clutched them tighter as Rye Mellark strode into her room. She took a moment to calm her breathing before examining the object in her grip. It was a white cotton tee with the _Mellark & Sons_ logo above the left breast. She sat up and leaned back against the headboard of her new bed, in her new room.

"How come you guys don't wear this?" she asked Rye, who was pulling open the curtains. She closed her eyes, expecting to be assaulted by bright sunlight, but was shocked to find out that the sun hadn't even risen. She gaped at the digital clock on her nightstand that blinked at her, the time reading 4:03 a.m.

"We do, sometimes," Rye said. "But most of our customers already know that we work there, so it doesn't really matter what we wear."

"Do you guys always get started this early?" Katniss yawned. She kept the sheets tucked tightly around her, not wanting Rye to see that she had slept in the clothes she had worn the day prior.

"We open at 5 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.," he told her with a smirk. "And then we spend the next hour or so prepping for the next morning."

_Well, I guess I'll have to start to learning to rise before the sun._

Katniss stared at Rye expectantly. "Are you going to leave so I can get changed?"

"Well, I was hoping that you would let me stay..."

"Out. Now."

"Don't worry, Katniss, by the end of the week I'll have you begging to undress in front of me."

Katniss rolled her eyes and tossed her pillow at him. He caught it and cuddled it to his chest, dramatically inhaling. Then he bowed out of her doorway and skipped down the hall, her pillow still in tow.

"What a weirdo," she grumbled to herself with a small smile as she hopped out of bed. She shut the door quickly and then rummaged through her leather bag for the clothes she had washed in the river yesterday. She slipped on the underwear, bra, and dark jeans, noting how they were stiff from the salt and sun. Lastly, she tugged on the tee, which fit snugly over her torso. The only shoes she had were the worn leathers boots she'd owned since she was eighteen. After lacing them up, she hastily made her bed and then peeked out into the hallway.

Her room was directly across from the bathroom, whose door was slightly ajar. Katniss shut the door quietly behind her and crossed the hall. She pushed open the door and then jumped back with a screech.

Peeta Mellark was leaning over the sink, with only a thin white towel wrapped around his lower half. The razor he had been scraping down the side of his cheek dug into his skin when he jumped at her scream.

"Shit!" he cried, trying to staunch the bleeding. Katniss slapped her hand over her eyes and turned around so her back was to him.

"I'm sorry!" she said, feeling her cheeks flush. "I didn't know you were in here, I swear!"

Peeta chuckled as he placed a wad of toilet paper over the cut on his cheek. "It's completely fine, Katniss. Honestly. I'll be out of your way in just a second."

She could barely manage a response before she fled back into the confines of her room, slamming the door shut behind her. She sunk to the ground and buried her face in her hands.

"Oh my God," she groaned, mortified. Not because she had just walked in on Peeta practically naked, but because of the dull throbbing that was happening between her legs as a result. The bare expanse of his back was tanned and toned, and as he dragged the razor along his skin the muscles in his arms had rippled _just so_-

"Oh!"

Katniss was shocked to find that one of her hands and snaked down her body and was pressing firmly against the crotch of her jeans. She allowed herself to rock onto her hand for a few seconds before yanking her arm back.

_What am I doing?_ she asked herself frantically. _I just met this man two days ago. Now I'm not only working in his bakery and _living with him_, but now I'm getting off on the thought of him?_

_What else were you supposed to do?_ she argued. _You couldn't sleep in the woods again. He offered you a job and a place to stay, you'd be foolish not to take him up on his offer. And not to mention he's incredibly gorgeous._

"I need to get a grip," she murmured to herself. "This isn't me."

_Look at you, _he would have spat at her._ Fantasizing about another man. What kind of slut are you?_

His grip around her arms would have been vice-like, but she wouldn't have cried out. That would've made things worse.

_Do I not satisfy you? Do want to leave me?_

She would've shook her head furiously, begging. _No, no, never. I love you._

_You're never leaving me._

He would have slammed her on whatever surface he could find, the couch or the kitchen table or even the floor. Maybe he would have bent her over the sink or forced her to her knees.

_Do you understand me? You are mine. You are never leaving me. _

_I will have you forever._

"Katniss?"

She stood up hurriedly, wiping her eyes and trying to control her breathing.

"The bathroom is free now," Peeta told her through the door. "Sorry about that."

"I-it's fine," Katniss choked out. "My fault, not yours."

_Everything is your fault, you dumb cunt._

"Well," Peeta said after an awkward pause. "I'll be downstairs getting everything set up. Come down when you're ready and I'll show you the ropes."

"Okay," she squeaked. His footsteps slowly disappeared and she let out a long, shaky breath. Once the hallway was silent for a few seconds, she opened the door once more.

"Let's try this again."

* * *

Face scrubbed clean, breath minty fresh, and hair pulled into a tight braid, Katniss descended the stairs from the apartment to the bakery. Rye was counting the bills in the cash register, and Haymitch was putting trays full of cookies designed to look like the American flag in a section of one of the displays cases.

"Memorial Day is in a few days, Sweetheart," Haymitch said dryly when he noticed her confused look.

_Really? That soon?_

"I guess I've just lost track of the dates," she said with a shrug. "It's been a busy couple days."

"I'm sure it has," Haymitch responded, staring at her with narrowed eyes. Katniss grew fidgety under his gaze and turned to Rye.

"Um, where is Peeta? He said he'd show me the ropes."

"He's back in the kitchen," he told her, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "Probably hiding from you after you jumped his bones this morning."

"_What_? I didn't- we didn't- he told you-" she floundered for a few moments before Rye cut her off with a chortle.

"I'm only messing with you, Beautiful. I heard you scream from all the way down here, and I figured you were either being murdered or had walked in on one of us. But since Haymitch and myself were down here at the time, and you are clearly unharmed, I'm going to go with the latter."

"It was an accident," she mumbled, ducking her head.

"Jesus, Rye, would you leave the poor girl alone for two seconds?" Peeta snapped as he exited the kitchen. A basket full of sesame seed bagels was tucked under his arm.

"We were just playing. Right, Katniss?"

She just nodded her head, unable to look any of them in the eye.

"Whatever, dude. Just don't be a distraction. Katniss has a lot to learn today."

"Oh, I'm sure she does," Rye said with a waggle of his eyebrows. Katniss flushed an even deeper shade of red, now close to maroon.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Great first day, Katniss," Peeta said enthusiastically as she switched the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'.

"I gave three different people the wrong change, I dropped a bagel, and I burned the batch of cheese buns. How does that constitute as great?"

During a lull around two p.m., Peeta had asked her to keep him company in the kitchen while he rolled some dough. That had led to him deciding to make a batch of cheese buns, and practically forcing her to help him. This resulted in two dozen lumps of misshapen dough with random bits of cheese poking out from the sides. Peeta had insisted they were perfect, and had instructed her that they only needed to cook for twenty minutes.

He had then busied himself with some vanilla cupcakes the granddaughter of the woman from the bait and tackle shop had requested for her sixth birthday. She wanted them designed with tulips and daffodils.

Katniss was too busy watching him create petal after perfect petal, and totally not sneaking peaks at the bit of his lower back that peaked out from the space between his shirt and slacks, that she didn't realize almost thirty minutes had gone by since the cheese buns had gone into the oven.

"Damn it! I'm sorry, Peeta." The buns were charred and black, and the kitchen soon began to reek of burnt bread.

Peeta had attempted to reassure her multiple times throughout the day, but after she made mistake after mistake, her already shallow confidence level had plummeted to below sea level.

"Katniss, relax. As far as first days go, you can consider yours a success."

She approached the counter slowly, dragging her feet. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better. I know I sucked. But I'll try harder tomorrow, Peeta, I promise. Please don't kick me out just yet."

"Kick you out?" Peeta frowned and put a hand on her arm. She tried her hardest to keep from flinching. "No, Katniss, I would never kick you out. Why would you think that?"

She shrugged an awkwardly dragged her toe across the floor. "I just- I don't want to disappoint you. You've done _so much_ for me already, Peeta, and you barely know me. I just want to be able to repay you."

"Katniss." Peeta placed a finger under her chin and tilted it upwards. "Whatever you do is more than enough. Always."

"And that's that!" Haymitch declared, making a note on a piece of paper and shutting the cash register.

The pair jumped apart and looked back at the scraggly man. His facial hair and gone from minor stubble to blonde grass on his face in the few days she had known him. He scratched at it absentmindedly while he searched for something under the counter.

"Aha!" he cried out. "There you are."

He pulled out a long, skinny bottle of merlot. He popped the cork with his teeth and took a long swig straight from the bottle.

"And here we go," Peeta muttered. He looked back at Katniss. "Hey, what do you want for dinner?"

"Oh, anything you make is fine," Katniss insisted. She was far from picky. "I'll eat anything."

"Well, I was going to run to the store and pick up some things for barbeque chicken. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely."

"Would you like to come with me? I can give you the grand tour-"

"Peeta!" Rye yelled. "I, uh, someone knocked over your cupcakes."

"_What_?" Peeta raced into the kitchen, Katniss hot on his heels. Rye stood, looking sheepish, in the middle of a pile of cupcakes, all smashed on the ground.

"What the fuck, Rye?" Peeta roared. "Sae needs these _tomorrow_ _morning_!"

"I'm sorry, Peet. I was reaching for the icing and my arm hit the rack and they all fell."

"Damn it." Peeta began cleaning up the mess. Katniss knelt beside him, cloth in hand, and started to wipe away the frosting that had splattered.

"You don't need to help, Katniss, it's fine."

"Oh, it's no trouble," she said as she scrubbed at the floor. "I don't mind cleaning."

Rye tried to slowly step out of the untidiness and make his way out of the door. Katniss caught his ankle as he moved past her.

"No way, Jose. You made the mess and you're going to help clean it up."

Rye sighed heavily, but got to his knees beside them anyway. He helped Peeta pick up what was left of the cupcakes and toss them into the garbage by the wall. Peeta nudged her arm when Rye's back was turned, and she turned her head towards him.

"So, will you take a rain check on dinner tonight?" he whispered. "I'm going to be stuck remaking these cupcakes all night and we're probably going to have to order a pizza or something. Rye and Uncle Haymitch can't cook to save their lives."

"Of course," Katniss said with a small grin. "Pizza is great."

"All done!" Rye announced as he tossed the last glob of crumbs into the trash. Katniss gave the floor one last swipe and sat back on her heels.

"Looks like that's it," Peeta agreed. Rye couldn't get out of the kitchen fast enough.

"He's like a toddler, isn't he?" Katniss observed as the grown man sprinted out of the kitchen gleefully.

"He's a twenty-six year old man-child." Katniss laughed loudly as Peeta helped her to her feet. "But I'm just surprised he helped clean up. That's not really his style."

Katniss shrugged. "Well, if you make a mess you have to clean it up. Plain and simple."

"Well, of course, but he's never listened to any of _us_ when we tell him that," Peeta chuckled. "See, Katniss? You've barely been here for twenty-four hours and you're already changing us Mellark boys for the better."

"Actually," Katniss said slowly, trying not to blush as she met Peeta's shining cerulean eyes, "I was thinking it was just the opposite."

* * *

Gale Hawthorne hated hospitals. They were too white and too sterile and everyone was either overly nice or didn't even look your way. That's why he went out of his way to avoid setting foot inside of one.

Except, when you have a gaping hole in your side, hospitals are normally your best bet.

"I'm really sorry, man," Rory Hawthorne said from his seat in the uncomfortable plastic chair next to his older brother's bed. "I know how much you hate this place."

"Don't worry about it," Gale replied through gritted teeth. "If it weren't for you and your psycho driving I probably would've bled to death on the kitchen floor."

"Well, you were able to walk yourself out the front door, a few extra miles wouldn't have done much damage," Rory joked. "You called Catherine, right? I hope she isn't too worried."

Gale nodded. "I called her cell this afternoon, before you came in. She was a bit frantic, but I calmed her down. She was insistent on coming straight home, but I told her she should stay with her cousin." It took every ounce of his concentration to keep his hands from shaking. "Plus, I already looked online, and there are absolutely no flights out of Florida for the next few days. By the time she'd get back I'd already be home and good as new."

Rory shook his head and blew out a long whistle. "Jesus, man. I just can't believe this happened."

"I know." Gale forced out a chuckle. "One minute I'm chopping onions and the next the blade sliced through my side. Still can't figure out how it happened."

"I'm just happy you're okay."

"Only because you got to me in time, brother," Gale said, referring to how he called the young man after the incident, asking him to pick him up and bring him to get medical attention.

Rory smirked, and smacked his brother's leg. "I'm going to head home. I've got to be at the precinct early tomorrow."

Gale's eyes widened. "Oh, right, yeah. Go on home. I'll be fine here." He patted the right side of his abdomen lightly, just able to feel the stiff material of his bandage through the thin hospital gown. "Just resting up."

"Alright, dude. I'll stop by after work tomorrow."

"See you then."

And then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him. Gale breathed a sigh of relief and reclined back onto the pillows. He could feel a migraine coming on, but he had just asked one of his nurses for morphine an hour ago and he knew he wouldn't be getting a second dose anytime soon.

The pillows were lumpy and smelled like disinfectant. Gale missed his pillows at home, the ones that Catherine fluffed every night before they went to bed. He liked to roll close to her and inhale the scent of her hair- coconut, like the shampoo she used.

He missed her dinners, always home cooked and rich in flavor. They rarely had the same dish in the same month, and she was always so good about preserving the extra food for him to take to work the next day. The hospital food was vile. It took coaxing from three different nurses for Gale to be able to even consider choking it down.

And her touch. Oh, her touch was so smooth and gentle. She would massage his back and shoulders every night with expert hands, rubbing away all of the kinks and knots with ease. He missed her hands more than anything.

But he missed her so much, all of her. Gale Hawthorne missed his wife. That wasn't a crime. He wanted to be able to kiss her and hug her and feel her in his arms. He couldn't believe she wasn't here with him. That was so like her. Never there for him. She was so selfish all the time. Everything he did was for her and now look where he ended up. This was all her fault. He shouldn't be here, in this atrocious place. But she made sure he was, because that's just the kind of bitch she is. He couldn't wait until he could leave. He needed to find her. He needed to let her know how much she has hurt him. He needed to get his hands on her. He was going to make sure she realizes what she has done. He was going to make her pay for her sins. He was going to find her and he was going to fucking kill her.

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun. Let me know what you guys think****!**

**As per usual, I'm 'ohalaskayoung' on tumblr and I'd love to chat with you!**

**xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES COMES OUT TODAY!**

**Can you guys tell that I'm excited? I am literally in love with Jamie Campbell Bower (who plays one of the main characters, for those who don't know) and I am just dying to go see the film. Are you guys fans of the books (and now movies), too?**

**As per usual, this chapter was beta'd by the amazing wollaston. I can't say enough kind things about her, guys. She's the best.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter ****Four****.**

_**February 1st, 2009**_

_"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Gale Hawthorne growled at the television. His wife pretended not to hear him as she scraped the spinach artichoke dip from its container into a bowl. She placed the bowl in the middle of a platter of chips, took a deep breath, and headed into the living room._

_"Here you go, baby," Catherine cooed as she placed the platter on the coffee table, in reaching distance from her husband. "Do you want anything else?"_

_"Another beer would be fantastic," he grumbled, nodding at the television. "Unlike this game."_

_Catherine looked at the screen, where it showed that the Arizona Cardinals were currently loosing Superbowl XLIII. She tried to hide her sigh. "Are you sure you want another one?" she asked. "This'll be your fifth and you don't want to have a headache during work tomorrow."_

_Gale Hawthorne worked for the military. His job was incredibly secretive, but Catherine knew that it had something to do with weapon design. _

_"Did I ask you what you thought?" he growled. "I just asked you to get me another one."_

_Catherine didn't bother to hide her sigh this time. She picked up Gale's empty bottle and headed back into the kitchen._

_"Come on, come on, come on- SHIT!"_

_Catherine cracked open another bottle and walked back into the living room. Gale was sitting straight up, and she could practically see the lines of tension in his back. _

_"Your beer, sir," she said sarcastically, holding it out to him. He grabbed it and drained half of its contents in one gulp. _

_"A thank you would be nice," she snapped. Her good mood had rapidly deteriorated. "I mean, I did just prepare your whole meal and was basically your slave all day."_

_"Catherine, I am not in a good mood right now," Gale said, warningly. Catherine arched an eyebrow. _

_"Well, neither am I. You don't appreciate anything I do for you, Gale."_

_"Catherine, _stop_."_

_"No, Gale, I'm not going to stop! All I'm asking for is just a little bit of appreciation. Maybe a thank you every now and again. You just expect me to cater to your every whim and treat me like shit in return-"_

_"_I said STOP!_"Gale screamed, lurching out of his seat. His beer hit the ground and spilled all over the pristine white carpet."Damn it, Catherine, you are so annoying all the time!"_

_"_I'm _annoying?" she snapped. "Do you even hear yourself, you asshole?"_

_And then she couldn't hear anything over the ringing in her ear. Her cheek was burning, and she stared up at her husband in horror. His hand was still raised, poised over his head, ready to strike again. _

_"Oh my God," she breathed. Gale dropped his hand and his eyes widened. _

_"Catherine-"_

_"Oh my God," she repeated, louder. "You hit me. You _hit_ me."_

_"I didn't mean to-"_

_"Bullshit!" Catherine cried, taking a step back. "What the hell is wrong with you, Gale Hawthorne?"_

_"Catherine, no, I-"_

_Catherine turned and started running for the stairs. She made it up only a few steps before a hand closed around her elbow and pulled her back._

_"Let go of me!"_

_His grip tightened, and he pivoted, slamming her into the wall. "Don't run away from me," he growled. _

_"Get the fuck off me," she seethed. "We're done. Over. Take back your fucking ring and let me go."_

_Gale's eyes darkened and he put his face only centimeters away from hers. "You are not leaving me."_

_"Wanna bet?" Catherine shoved him off her and started up the stairs again._

_"_NO_!" Gale's arm encircled her waist and tossed her back like a rag doll. "_You are not leaving me!_"_

_Her head cracked against the wall with a sickening thud and she saw stars. Gale yanked her up and pinned her to the wall. _

_"Do you understand me?" He shook her once, twice, three times. She had to choke back the bile that rose in her throat. "You are not leaving me!"_

_She blinked hazily, spots clouding her vision. _

_"Do you understand me!"_

_She was able to nod once, and then he let her go. She slumped to the floor and closed her eyes. Waves of pain rolled over her. She felt unsteady, like she was out at sea. _

_"You have to make things difficult, don't you," Gale said, softer. "I didn't want to do this. You made me."_

_Then he walked downstairs to finish watching the game. Catherine could only manage to choke out one sob before she succumbed to blissful darkness of unconsciousness._

* * *

May 23rd, 2013

"Katniss!"

She shot up out of bed, skin slick with sweat and breathing erratic. It took her a moment to take in her surroundings. The room was dark and shadowed, the only light source being the digital clock showing her that it was a little after three a.m. An incessant banging on her door caught her attention almost immediately.

"Katniss, are you alright?"

"Um, yeah," she said, clearing her throat. "I'm fine."

"I just- I thought I heard something." She could hear Peeta shuffling around awkwardly on the other side of the door. "Like, yelling and stuff."

"Just a bit of a bad dream," she assured him. "I'm fine now, I promise."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" he pressed. "I know that for me it helps a whole lot-"

"_I said I was fine, Peeta!_" she snapped. Then, slightly calmer, she repeated. "I said I was fine."

She waited, expecting him to say something else. Maybe yell at her for being so rude to him. But she just sat there in shock as she listened to his footsteps slowly fade away.

To say work was a tense affair was an understatement.

Peeta mainly stuck to the kitchen, only coming out to put trays of fresh goods on the cooling racks. Katniss manned the counter, along with Rye or Haymitch, depending on who got bored and who decided it was time to crack open a bottle of whiskey. She wasn't sure which one of them she preferred to tolerate; Rye bugged her constantly, with either dumb innuendos or complaints that the day was taking too long, and Haymitch unnerved her quite a bit. He seemed to always be staring at her, as if she was a puzzle that was missing a piece.

It was a quarter after five, and Katniss was sweeping up the floor after she had turned the sign. Haymitch had retired to his bedroom to work on the store's ledger- a task Katniss wasn't sure should be left to him since his sobriety was always questionable- and Rye was helping Peeta prep some dough in the kitchen. Though with the amount of time he spent back there all day long, Katniss was surprised that they didn't have enough dough to last them for the next month.

She knew he was avoiding her. It makes her heart ache and her stomach flip. She shouldn't have snapped at him this morning, she knows he was only trying to be supportive. Katniss had spent almost every second of every brief reprieve from customers she had all day long trying to work up the courage to pull Peeta aside and apologize. But she felt like a simple "I'm sorry" would not nearly cover it.

The man had given her a job and put a roof over her head, even when he barely knew her. She shouldn't be doing things that would cause him harm, that would cause her to have to apologize. She would be in his debt forever, a fact that was nagging in the back of her mind that she kept trying to forget about.

Her room was delightful. Her bed was a king size, bigger than she'd ever had. It sat in the center of her room, with a nightstand to her left and a large window to her right. Where the window ended the wall began, and that space led to a tremendous walk-in closet. In front of the opposite wall was a spacious dresser, with three rows of four drawers, creating more space than she had ever needed for clothes in her life.

"It's not a whole lot," Peeta had said sheepishly whilst giving her the grand tour, "But it's been home for twenty-four years."

It was absolutely perfect. The whole upstairs apartment was furnished with the same mahogany pieces; her bed frame, the kitchen table, the chairs, even her dresser and nightstand. They all matched perfectly. Katniss felt sick when she thought of how much money must have went into creating such a beautiful abode.

She had expected people to make some sort of fuss over her presence. She had expected gossip and snide comments whispered through pursed lips and behind raised hands. Instead, Katniss was pleasantly surprised to find out that the vast majority of customers didn't seem to question her existence. A few of them had asked her name, which she had given, and where she had came from. To that, she had simply replied with a noncommittal shrug of her shoulders and a thin smile.

"I've been all over," she would tell them. "Too many places to count."

That would usually satisfy them, the elderly women who came in multiple times throughout the day and the housewives desperate for a friend. They would move on and order what they wanted, she would give it to them and ring them up, and with a "Have a nice day!" they'd be gone.

Katniss liked the people of Panem. They were nice. Simple as that. They were just plain old _nice_ people. They weren't overly nosy, more like curious in the typical small town way. She didn't mind, not in the slightest.

When she heard Rye leisurely traipse out of the kitchen, she knew it was time to make her move.

"Peeta?"

She pushed open the door to the kitchen just in time for him to walk in through the back door, a sack of flour that was about the size of her over his shoulder. He startled a bit when he saw her, but then recovered and tossed the sack onto the floor.

"Hey, Katniss," he said lightly, but didn't meet her eyes. "Is everything finished up out front?"

"Yup, all done." Her voice cracked a bit, and she coughed a bit too loudly. "Listen, Peeta, I'm really sorry for how I acted this morning. You were just trying to help and I was a total bitch to you and I'm _really_, _truly_ sorry."

"Don't sweat it," Peeta told her airily, waving a hand. "It was three a.m. No one is their best self at three a.m."

"But it still doesn't make what I did alright," Katniss insisted. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"That past is the past," Peeta shrugged. He lifted a beautiful sculpted arm to run his forearm across his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed there. "But right now is the present, and spending your present dwelling on the past is not going to improve your future."

"You can't be more right," she mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing." She pulled at the hem of her _Mellark & Sons _tee. "So, am I forgiven?"

"That depends," Peeta said, now with a twinkle in his eye. He stepped closer to her, and leaned on the countertop.

"On what?" she breathed.

"You and me. Dinner. Tonight."

Katniss couldn't help the grin that formed on her face. "I'm not sure. Last time I made plans for dinner they were canceled before I could blink."

"Well, they must have been made by a very foolish man." Peeta was no face-to-face with her, and a hand snaked up and lightly encircled her wrist. She could feel the flour particle and dried icing that remained there.

"Oh, extremely foolish," Katniss said, trying to look serious. "In fact, I believe he canceled my plans for another girl."

"Well, in his defense the girl must have been _super_ cute."

"And way too young for him," she added. "But cupcakes were involved, so I guess he was a goner."

"Let's not forget the foolish man did not get to sample said cupcakes." Peeta's other hand found her waist. "He actually slaved over them until midnight."

"That's very selfless of him," Katniss whispered. His head seemed to be getting lower, and lower, and she found herself standing on her tiptoes and then-

"Ouch!"

"Shit!"

Katniss moved away from Peeta and hopped on one foot, clutching the other tightly.

"Oh, crap, Katniss, are you okay?" Peeta asked frantically. "I am so sorry, are you hurt badly?"

"No," Katniss laughed. She tried to step down on her foot and hissed. She recoiled, but then placed her full weight on her throbbing appendage. "I mean, no, I'm not hurt badly."

"I am _so_ sorry." One minute Peeta was leaning in, and the next he lost his balance and stumbled, and in the process completely squashing Katniss' foot under his.

"Don't sweat it." She repeated his words with a smirk. "Consider us even."

"No, this is different," Peeta insisted, frowning. "I _hurt_ you. At least let me take a look at it."

"_No_," Katniss said, a bit to sharply. "No, you didn't hurt me. Trust me."

"Alright, then," Peeta surrender, raising his hands. "Then I guess I'm just going to have to whip up something extra delicious to make up for _not_ crushing all of the bones in your foot."

"Actually, Mr. Mellark, I don't believe I ever agreed to have dinner with you tonight."

"Call it a hunch," Peeta said with a wink, "that you'll be there."

"What time should I be there?" she queried. "That is, _if_ I decided to show up."

"Seven o'clock sharp."

Katniss found herself nodding. "I'll be there."

* * *

There was a surf shop in town, a few blocks away from the bakery on the road that led to the marina. Surf boards and wetsuits were on display on the sidewalk, and through the glass windows Katniss could racks of pretty sundresses and floral bikinis. A tee shirt and shorts were probably forty dollars apiece, but she went in anyway.

The shop was empty, and an air conditioner in the far corner let out dull roar. Katniss welcomed the cool breeze; she had been outside for less than ten minutes and her skin was already sticky with sweat. She browsed the racks, fingering a few white lace tops that would be just perfect in the heat that was sure to come.

"Are you Katniss Everdeen?"

Katniss yelped and jumped almost a foot in the air. She spun around and saw a petite woman with black wispy hair sitting at the register. She was wearing a soft blue dress that flowed down to her knees, and a small smile stretched her lips.

"Who's asking?" Katniss asked. The woman stood up and extended her arm over the glass counter.

"I'm Annie. I've never seen you around here before, so I figured you must be the girl that Peeta hired."

Katniss shook her hand lightly and nodded. "That's me."

"Welcome to Panem," Annie said, "and, to a lesser extent, _Aloha_."

"Um, aloha to you, too, I guess."

"No, no, no," Annie giggled. "_Aloha_. It's the name of our shop." Sure enough, the letters were printed on the wall above Annie's head. "We moved here from Hawaii six years ago and wanted to bring a bit of it back with us."

"We?" Katniss asked.

"Your knight in shining armor has returned!" a deep, ostentatious voice exclaimed.

Katniss turned as the door opened to see a gorgeous young man stride in, plastic bags in each hand. "Oh, hey, are you Katniss?"

"Yup!" Annie answered for her. The man placed the bags on the counter and leaned forward, capturing Annie's lips in a kiss that was far too intimate for when they had an audience. When they pulled apart Annie's face was flushed and she wiped at her lips with the back at her hand.

"Katniss, this is my husband, Finn."

"Finnick Odair!" He extended his hand to her with a flourish. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Katniss."

"Likewise," she murmured as she shook his hand. He flashed her a grin and the way he was standing made Katniss remember something- They were the couple she had seen at the bakery a few days earlier, talking to Rye and Peeta.

"So, Katniss, what can we help you with today?" Finnick asked. Katniss shrugged.

"I was just looking around. I had some time to kill before dinner so I figured I'd try and get a bit of shopping done."

"Well, by all means, shop," Finnick told her. "We're just going to have our dinner, if you don't mind. Holler when you need us."

And with that he hopped over the counter and pulled Annie onto his lap. Together they began opening the cartons that were in the bag, and the aroma of fried rice and dumplings quickly began to fill the air.

To Katniss' surprise, the clothes weren't that expensive. She managed to snag a few tops and a couple shorts for less than forty dollars. A black bathing suit with a red trim caught her eye, but she decided that if a situation arose where she'd need it, then she'd come back and buy it.

"All set?" Annie asked her when she approached the counter. She nodded, and Annie put down her chopsticks and began ringing her up. The total was forty-two dollars and sixty-three cents. Katniss counted the bills from her dwindling stack and tucked the rest bag into her bag.

"See you around, Katniss," Annie said sweetly. Katniss nodded with a grin. She definitely liked this girl.

"Thanks, Annie," she said. "You too."

* * *

Katniss placed her fork on her now empty plate and sighed. "That was amazing," she said. She licked her lips, savoring the flavor of the barbeque chicken that still remained. "You should be a chef, too."

"I can't take credit for that," Peeta said with a smile, placing his own fork down as well. "It was my father's recipe."

"Well, remind me to thank him if I ever meet him." Katniss placed with the edge of her napkin. "Where is your dad, anyway? If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't mind at all," Peeta said with a shrug. "Him and my mother moved to Vegas two years ago. My mother kept saying that she couldn't take the humidity anymore, and working so much was taking a toll on my dad. So they left, and then shortly after that my oldest brother decided to join them. Then Haymitch moved in, and it's been just us ever since."

"And now me," Katniss chimed in softly.

"And now you," Peeta repeated. "So tell me, how are you liking Panem so far?"

"I love it," Katniss answered honestly. "I really do. It's a nice change of pace."

"From what?" Peeta prompted.

"From...madness, I guess." Katniss sat back in her chair. "Things used to be quite hectic for me and I'm finally getting a chance to relax a bit."

"Okay," Peeta nodded, accepting her vague answer. "That's understandable."

"What about you?" Katniss asked. "Have you always lived here?"

"Since the day I was born," he said. "My dad opened this bakery in 1981, had my brothers a few years later, and then me. By the time I was born business was really booming, so we had no reason to leave. We kind of just settled into our ways and that was that. Until my parents moved, of course. That came as a shock to a lot of people. Once you're in Panem for a while, you don't really leave. You kind of become a permanent fixture, like the trees or the water."

"That's cute," Katniss mused.

"Alright, make fun of me," Peeta said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not making fun of you!" Katniss exclaimed. "Really. I do think it's cute."

"Yeah, yeah." Peeta waved her off with a grin on his face. "Sure you do."

"Uh-huh," Katniss teased. "Cute as a button."

"So, Katniss." Peeta leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and his head atop his fingers. "Is there anything else in this town that you might find cute?"

Katniss leaned forward as well, mimicking his position. She tossed her braid over her right shoulder and smirked. "There might be a few things. But that's for me to know and you to find out."

"So I _will_ be finding out?"

"We'll see," Katniss said. "We'll see."

* * *

**What are you guys thinking? Predictions? Opinions? Send them my way!**

**I'm on tumblr as 'ohalaskayoung', come talk to me! I post a Six Sentence Sunday preview every Sunday (obviously).**

**Until next Wednesday, my dears...**

**xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy Hump Day, everyone! This chapter wouldn't be half as coherent without my fabulous beta, wollaston. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Five.**

**June 2nd, 2013**

The kitchen looked pristine. Every dish shone and the tablecloth was perfectly symmetrical, without a wrinkle in sight. The floor had been bleached so not a single scuff or mark was visible. If you wandered up the stairs and into the master bedroom and you would still be able to smell the sawdust that was a product of replacing the floorboards. Every picture was in place and the bed was made up like a showcase at Ikea. Everything was just so.

Except for the few articles of clothing missing from the left side of the drawer; two shirts, two pairs of jeans, along with a few matching sets of bras and underwear.

Gale admired his handiwork with a grim smile.

"Hey, Beetee, how's it going?" His phone had been ringing all morning and he figured it was about time he answered it.

"It's alright, Hawthorne, I can't complain," his coworker Jeffery Beetee replied. "I was wondering if you were coming in today."

"Nah, I don't think so," Gale said, making his way downstairs. He grabbed his car keys off the coffee table. "I have some errands to run. I already called Coin and told her I was taking a personal day."

Their boss had been less than understanding about him staying home for the day, but Gale just really wasn't in the mood to deal with her or any of his coworkers.

"I hear you, buddy," Beetee said. "I could use one of those myself."

Gale grunted in response and opened the front door.

"Well, I'll let you get to it, I suppose," the man said, "Take care, buddy."

"You too," Gale replied, and quickly ended the phone call. He jumped behind the wheel of his pickup and revved the engine. Before backing out of the driveway he ran his fingers over the worn Polaroid of a blonde tucked under his sun visor.

"Soon, baby," he muttered. "I'll be with you soon."

* * *

Hushed voices awoke Katniss before sunrise on her fist day off. She rolled over and pressed a pillow over her head in an attempt to drown them out. After a while, curiosity overpowered her need for sleep and she tried to listen.

"It's been five years, Peet," Rye was saying. "I'm not telling you to forget, but you definitely need to move on."

"Don't you think I know that?" Peeta replied. His voice had a tense edge to it, a strain that it didn't normally possess.

"Then why aren't you doing it?" Rye challenged. "Your ten times better off now than you ever were with her. And your leg? It could be much worse."

"I know, man," Peeta sighed. "I know."

_What's wrong with his leg?_ Katniss thought. He didn't seem to limp at all. Maybe it was scarred? She wouldn't know, since he never wore shorts. And that time she had walked in on him in the bathroom she wasn't exactly looking at his legs.

_And who is 'her'? An ex-girlfriend, maybe? _

These were all questions that would be resolved, Katniss decided, when she had at least three more hours of sleep. So she rolled over, buried herself under her sheets, and drifted slowly away.

* * *

Gale's pickup raced down the Long Island Expressway at speeds at least twice as high as the legal limit. He turned at the appropriate exit and seconds later whipped into the parking lot of the local Stop & Shop, almost smashing into a red Honda CRV as he turned it into the first available stall. Folded neatly in his pocket was his test results from the blood samples they took from him at the hospital. He jumped out of his truck and headed towards the grocery store.

It wasn't a secret that the alleyway behind the store was notorious for shady dealings. No one ever lingered there after dark unless they needed a fix. But it was barely noon now, and Gale knew exactly who he'd find behind the store. There was only one person ballsy enough to be out in broad daylight.

"Hey!" he called out when he saw the stringy boy, clad in his Stop & Shop uniform, leaning against the back wall with a cigarette between his lips. "Are you Cato?"

If the boy recognized the pseudonym, he didn't show it. He took the cigarette between two fingers and squinted up at Gale. "Excuse me?"

"_Cato_," Gale repeated. "That's you."

"Yeah, my name might be Cato," the boy said, putting the cigarette back to his lips. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm on break-"

Gale fished the paper out of his pocket. He scanned it and then found the word he was looking for. He repeated the drug to the boy, whose eyes narrowed.

"Nightlock?" Cato asked. Gale nodded. That was what the nurse had told him was in his system when he woke up.

"Yes. Do you have it or not?"

Cato stared him down for a second before nodding once. "How much do you want?"

"As much as fifty bucks will get me."

Cato scoffed. "That's not much, man." But he kicked off his left shoe anyway and pulled out a small plastic bag. Inside where dark purples spheres, characteristic of blackberries. "Cash first."

Gale handed him a fifty dollar bill and Cato tossed him the bag. "Crush 'em up and mix them into a drink. Preferably alcohol, but whatever you have is fine."

"Noted," Gale grunted. "One more thing."

"Hmm?"

He held up the picture from his car. "Do you know this woman?"

Cato squinted at the image before shaking his head. "No. Am I supposed to?"

Impatient, Gale reached into his back pocket and pulled out a badge.

"Shit, man, you're a cop?" Cato cried.

Gale thrust Catherine's photo at him. "I'm not if you tell me where you know this woman from. You have five seconds."

"I sold her some nightlock about a week ago!" Cato said hurriedly. "That's it, I swear. I haven't seen her since, I don't even know her name!"

Gale tucked the badge away. He needed to get it back to Rory before he knew it was missing.

"Are you gonna turn me in?"

"No," Gale snapped. "I got what I needed. Don't piss yourself." He turned to walk away, the bag of nightlock in his hand.

* * *

When Katniss finally emerged from her slumber, it was almost eight o'clock. She rolled out of bed, pulled together an outfit for the day, and padded across the hall to shower. She hummed a tune to herself as she lathered her hair with shampoo, an old song that hadn't left her lips in years.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

The warm water cascaded over her, briefly relieving the tension that seemed to be a permanent fixture in her muscles. She opened her mouth and began to sing in earnest.

_Lay down your head, and close your eyes_

_And when they open, the sun will rise_

_Here your dreams are sweet_

_And tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you_

Katniss turned off the water after the last note of the song and wrung the water out of her thick dark locks. She quickly dried off with a towel and then wrapped it securely around her head. After dressing, she brushed her teeth and tried to comb out the snarls in her damp hair.

"Katniss?" Rye called up the stairs. "Haymitch got some egg sandwiches if you want some."

Her stomach twisted and let out a cry of hunger, and she poked her head out of the bathroom to yell back to him.

"I'll be down in a few minutes, thanks!"

True to her word, moments later she jogged down the steps and into the bakery. Haymitch was behind the counter and Rye was sitting down at a table, a brown bag spread out in front of him like a tablecloth. Katniss took the seat across from him and he pushed a wrapped lump towards her. She could smell the sausage and cheese emanating from its packaging.

"Thanks," she said, ripping it open and taking a bite. "How's business this morning?"

"Slower than it normally is on a Sunday," Rye replied, licking cheese off his finger.

She nodded. They ate in silence until her curiosity got the better of her. "Rye, I know it's not really my business but-"

"But you overheard Peeta and I talking this morning and you were wondering what his deal is," Rye deadpanned. Katniss blushed and ducked her head. "It's fine, Katniss. We were talking a bit loud, I figured you'd hear us."

"You don't have to tell me anything, I know it's not my place."

"You're bound to find out eventually," Rye shrugged. "I mean, Peeta can tell you what he wants when he wants, but I'll let you know the gist of it.

"There was this girl, her name was Delilah- _Delly_- Cartwright. She was in Peeta's grade in school and her parents used to own a shoe shop down the road before they retired and sold it to Greasy Sae. Her and Peeta had been together since they were sixteen, and after high school he proposed to her."

Katniss' breath caught in her throat and she suddenly found her egg sandwich very interesting.

"Then, when Peeta was nineteen, he got into an accident. Obviously he's alright now, but he was left with some, uh, permanent damage that Delly 'couldn't handle'. She broke off the engagement and left town. We haven't seen her in five years."

"What?" Katniss breathed, in shock. "How could she do something like that?"

"I always thought she was a bit of a twat," Rye said brashly. "But Peeta always stuck up for her, even after she ripped his heart out. He never has a bad thing to say about anyone."

"I've noticed," she murmured. "Does he still...you know...?"

"Love her?" Rye shook his head with a frown. "Nah. I don't think he ever did, really. She was just the only girl who ever liked him, and he was in love with the idea of being in love. Once she left he saw her for what she was. He still harbors some feelings for her, but I think they're mostly just regret, longing, some angst-y poetry shit I don't really care about."

Katniss snorted. "Well put."

"You know me," he said with a smirk. "Always the charmer."

"So what exactly was the permanent damage?" she asked. "What was so bad that she left him?"

"It's not bad," Rye said firmly. "It really, really isn't. She was just a superficial bitch who couldn't see past appearances."

"She sure sounds like it," Katniss prompted. "Now tell me what happened to Peeta."

"Katniss," he said, "he lost his leg."

* * *

"Excuse me," Gale said to a petite girl with have her head shaved. She turned around from the shelf she was stocking. "May I please speak to your manager?"

The girl cracked the gum she was chewing and nodded. She grabbed her radio from its spot on her hip.

"Hey, Mr. Heavensbee, it's Clove. A customer is requesting to see you."

The radio crackled to life after a pause. "Thank you, Clove. I'll be there shortly."

Soon a portly man who looked like he'd be better suited addressing the nation rather than working at a grocery store approached the two. "How may I be of assistance?" he asked with a wide grin.

"May we speak in private?" Gale asked. His eyes flickered to the girl, who cracked her gum again.

"Of course," said Mr. Heavensbee. "Please, follow me."

He led Gale to an office above the store. There was a desk by a window, and a young girl who was missing her two front teeth grinned at him from a frame on the desk.

"How can I help you, sir?"

Gale flashed the stolen badge again. "I'm going to need to see your security footage of your registers from May 19th."

Mr. Heavensbee's eyes widened fractionally before nodding. "Of course, Officer. If you give me a few minutes I can burn the footage onto a disc for your, or you can watch them yourself here."

"A disc, please," Gale said. "Thank you."

Half an hour later, he slipped the disc into the drive on his computer and eagerly tapped his fingers against his thigh. A slightly blurry feed appeared on his screen, and he checked the time at the bottom of the screen.

07:06 hours.

He sped up the video.

13:49 hours.

He stopped. There, stepping up to the self-checkout counter, was Catherine. He watched as she scanned each item, one by one. He could make out most of them; carrots, chicken breast, breadcrumbs. All items that were listed on the receipt he held in his hand.

She had been so stupid to try and hide this from him. He couldn't believe that she thought he wouldn't find out.

The Catherine on the screen picked up the last item in her cart and scanned it. Gale paused the video quickly and looked at the receipt, at the item he had highlighted and circled and underlined so much that the paper was beginning to tear.

Gale resumed the video and watched her place the item in her bag. She looked around quickly, grabbed her receipt, and shoved it in her back pocket. The tip of the box was just poking out of one of the plastic bags.

Red hair dye.

* * *

**Updates should be pretty frequent for the next few weeks, but now that the soccer season has started for me I might not be able to write as quickly as usual. **

**What fics are you guys liking right now? Send me some recommendations! **

**As per usual, I'd love to hear everyone's opinions on this chapter. I'm on tumblr as 'ohalaskayoung'.**

**xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

**I just wanted to thank all of you for the kind reviews. It means such a tremendous amount to me that you guys are actually enjoying this. As usual, props to wollaston for being the greatest beta anyone could ever ask for.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Six.**

**June 16th, 2013**

"Peeta's sick," Haymitch grunted at Katniss as she trudged down the stairs.

"Sick?" she asked with a yawn. "With what?"

"Damned if I know, he's just sick. So you best be leaving him alone s'all I'm saying."

"Of course, Mr. Mellark," Katniss said, slightly taken aback by his gruffness. She had only interacted with Peeta and Rye's uncle a few times since she had moved in, and his moodiness never failed to turn her off from him.

"Mellark?" he laughed. "The boy never told you?"

"Told me what?" Katniss asked as she took the chairs off the table tops and arranged them on the ground.

"The name's Abernathy, sweetheart. Not Mellark."

"Oh!" Katniss exclaimed, shocked. "I'm sorry. I just figured-"

"I know what you figured," Haymitch said. "Not a stupid assumption. I'm Peeta's mother Caryl's brother. Not his father Whetin's."

"Gotcha," Katniss responded with a nod. "Sorry, Mr. Abernathy."

"Just call me Haymitch," he shrugged. "Don't make me feel any older than I already am."

There weren't any customers until a quarter to six. Katniss didn't mind the lull, just as she didn't mind being swamped either. What she did mind was the eerie silence that followed every break in conversation with Haymitch. He would stare at her in a way that made her uneasy- not in a sexual way, but in a way that made her feel like he knew her entire life story.

It made her wish for Rye's obnoxious innuendos.

"Where _is_ Rye?" Katniss asked after ringing up a group of fishermen. Haymitch had been running back and forth between the kitchen and the counter all morning.

"He took the day off," Haymitch said as he brought a basket of rolls in from the kitchen to cool. "Went into town or ran or way to California, who knows? He took the truck."

The truck was, in fact, not actually a truck. It was a forest green Jeep Grand Cherokee that the three men shared. It always seemed perpetually dirty no matter how many times it was washed. Katniss loved it, despite the fact that she hadn't driven since she was seventeen. It didn't matter; the only places she had to go to were within walking distance.

"Shouldn't you know where he is?"

"Rye is a twenty-six year old man," Haymitch scoffed, "even if he is a man-child. And he's not my kid. It's not my business nor my responsibility to oversee what he does."

"I suppose that's true," Katniss agreed. "But what of something were to happen to him? No one knows where he is."

"Then send him a damn text," Haymitch grunted, but his lips twisted downwards disconcertingly.

"Don't pretend you don't care about these boys, Haymitch."

"Don't pretend that you _do_."

Katniss gaped at the man, wide-eyed. "_Excuse me_?"

"You heard me, sweetheart."

"I _do_ care about them," she said vehemently. "A lot more than I probably should."

A thud from upstairs sent their conversation to a screeching halt.

"Was that Peeta?" Katniss asked Haymitch. Before he could answer, there is another loud thump and a strangled cry.

Katniss turned on her heel and raced for the stairs. "Peeta!" she cried. "Peeta, are you okay?"

She threw open the door to his bedroom and was met with the sight of him, shaking and thrashing beneath his covers. His skin was slick with sweat and he was groaning as he shook. Katniss went to step into his room when a flash of silver caught her eye.

Leaning against his nightstand was a prosthetic leg.

She hadn't broached the subject with Peeta since Rye had mentioned that he was missing his leg. Sure, her eyes had wandered down to his legs when his back was to her, but she could never find a single fault. Not a limp, or a shuffle, or anything that would suggest his leg wasn't his. She wasn't even sure what leg he was missing.

Swallowing her shock, Katniss stepped inside and moved to stand by his bed.

"_Stop_," he groaned. "_It hurts, please stop_."

Her hands hovered above his head, unsure. She had never been around someone having nightmares before, but she had experienced enough of them herself to know what should be done.

"Hey," she whispered, her hand ghosting down the side of his face. "Peeta, it's Katniss. Wake up, Peeta. It's just a dream. It's not real."

"_Help me, please_," he gasped out, his head turning from side to side. "_Someone help me._"

"Peeta, open your eyes, it's not real-"

"_Don't take it!_"

Peeta sat upright, almost smacking Katniss in the head. She stumbled back before righting herself at the foot of his bed. He looked around, eyes wild, before settling his gaze on her.

"Katniss," he breathed.

"That's me." She waved awkwardly. "I, uh, heard you yelling and thought you needed some help."

He was silent, his chest heaving with labored breaths as he stared at her.

"I'm sorry. If you want me to go I will." She turned to walk out the door.

"Wait!" Katniss turned. "No. Stay. Please."

She nodded, and slowly walked back to the foot of his bed. Peeta ran his fingers through his damp blond curls. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he said finally.

"I don't mind at all, Peeta," Katniss answered honestly. "Do you...do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I don't want to burden y-" Peeta's voice came to a halt as his eyes landed on his prosthetic in the corner. He let out a humorless laugh. "I guess since you're not totally disgusted I can assume Rye told you about me, huh?"

"Disgusted?" Katniss sat down on the edge of his mattress. "Why would I be disgusted by something you can't control?"

She could now make out the shape of his legs under the mattress. One was normal; she could see the roundness of his knee and the angular protrusion of his foot against the sheets. The other stopped just above where his knee would, and the sheets fell to the mattress in the space where the rest of his leg would be.

"Other people have been," he mumbled. "I wouldn't blame you if you were."

"Tell me about your nightmare, Peeta," Katniss prompted. "Just because I was too stubborn to talk about mine doesn't mean you shouldn't talk about yours."

"It wasn't a nightmare," he said slowly. "Not really. "It was more like a flashback."

"Do they happen often?"

"Not a whole lot, but often enough for them not to shock me." Peeta moved back so he was resting against the headboard. "Do you really want to know about them? About what happened?"

Katniss found herself nodding. "I do, Peeta."

"Alright then," he said. "Now, just keep in mind that my mother isn't a cruel woman. She is just very particular..."

* * *

_April 14th, 2008_

_"Damn it, Ma! Why can't you just be happy for me for once?"_

_Caryl Mellark's hand slapped down on the kitchen counter. "She is trash, Peeta! Why can't you see that? Now, I tolerated your silly little high school romance. Now you're telling me you've been engaged to her for almost a _year_?"_

_"I couldn't afford to get her a ring, so we were keeping it a secret until I could-"_

_"And now you've wasted all your damn money on a ring!" She threw up her hands and groaned. "I want you end it with that girl, Peeta. She will do nothing but ruin you."_

_"Her name is Delly and she is the best thing that's ever happened to me!" Peeta cried."And you know what? I don't have to stand here and listen to you belittle the girl I love. Goodbye, Ma."_

_He turned on his heel and ran from the room. _

_"Get your ass back here, Peeta Mellark!" Caryl cried, chasing after him. "You don't walk away from me."_

_He ignored her as he stomped down the stairs and out the door. He hopped on his Ducatti, parked on the side of the bakery, and revved the engine. He pulled on his helmet and peeled away before his mother was even out the door._

_He sped down the road, away from the bakery, away from his mother, away from Panem. The old roads of his hometown soon faded to the open space of the highway, and he found his speed increasing to ten, twenty, forty miles per hour above the speed limit. _

Can't she just let me be happy for once?

_The motorcycle started to shake beneath him._

Why has she always been so against Delly? I love her and she loves me.

_The fairings began to twist out of his grip. _

I wish she would just let us be.

_Peeta cried out as the motorcycle spun out violently to the side. He flipped off of it, his body smacking against the pavement with a violent thud, and his leg cracking loudly. He screamed in pain, his head spinning and stomach churning. He was able to roll to the side and vomit whatever was in his stomach. _

_"Help me," he croaked, trying-and failing- to ignore the white hot pain in his leg. He could feel the blood seeping onto the ground beneath him, and without looking he could tell that he had a compound fracture for sure. _

_"Someone help me, please!"_

_He didn't know how long it took. Minutes, hours, days. It certainly felt like years. Finally he heard the sirens, and then the paramedics were surrounding him. _

_"Jesus, this is bad," one of them said as they lifted him onto the gurney. _

_"I think we're going to have to take his legs," another commented. _

_"No," Peeta said frantically. His eyes were drifting shut, his vision swimming. "No, don't take it. Please."_

_"Shh, buddy, stay calm," the first one said. "You're going to be just fine."_

_He tried to shake his head, but then a mask was over his mouth and he succumbed to the darkness._

* * *

"I was in the hospital for three days before she came to visit me," Peeta said lowly. Katniss found herself shaking as he retold the story. "And when she did, she could barely look at me. She told me that she couldn't be married to a cripple...that she couldn't love a man who wasn't whole."

"Peeta," Katniss gasped, sliding closer. Unthinkingly, she placed a hand on his leg, right above where it stopped. He flinched, but she didn't move her hand. "You don't believe her, do you?"

He shrugged, his eyes not moving from her hand. "I don't know. I mean, I can see where she's coming from." His eyes flitted back up to hers. "I'm not telling you this so you'll feel sorry for me, you know."

"Of course I know that," she said. "I don't pity you, Peeta. I think you're one of the best men I've ever met in my whole life."

He smiled slowly, and his upper body leaned in towards hers. Katniss let herself move forward until they were only a breath's width apart.

"You know, Delly seems like a real bitch," she whispered. Peeta chuckled, and she could feel his warm breath on her lips.

"Yeah, I've come to realize that."

"I mean, she must have been made of stone to not be able to love you."

"You think so?"

"Yeah," Katniss breathed. _Because not loving you is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do._

Peeta moved closer, and Katniss felt her heart fluttering in her throat. He let his lips brush against hers, barely enough to be considered a kiss. He moved in again, and Katniss let her eyes close, and then-

"No!" Katniss jumped up. "I'm sorry, Peeta, but I just can't."

His face crumbled, and it took every ounce of her self control not to crawl into his arms and kiss him until she passed out from exhaustion.

"It is _not you_, Peeta, okay?" she said strongly. "Please believe me. This is all me. I just- I can't- I'm so sorry."

And then she was running from his room, trying desperately to stop the tears from falling.

"Katniss, wait!" Peeta called, trying to hop out of bed and put on his prosthetic and chase her at the same time. "Katniss!"

But she was already gone.

* * *

**Well, if you guys know me, you know that nothing ever stays happy for long. I'm too cruel, really. Let me hear your opinions on this chapter!**

**I'm on tumblr as 'ohalaskayoung'. Thanks for reading!**

**xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ugh, school started for me this week. Updates will still be every Wednesday, just expect them a bit later in the day than usual. Hugs and kisses and cupcakes go out to my amazing beta, wollaston. She's a saint.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven****.**

**October 12th, 2011**

_She knew it was coming._

_"Damn it, Catherine!"_

_The plate shattered against the linoleum floor. The pieces ricocheted off the walls and chipped the paint. _We'll have to repaint it sometime this weekend, _Catherine thought as she trying to quell her shakes. _There might still be some paint leftover from last time.

_"Do you listen to me, Catherine?" Don't I mean anything to you?"_

_The wine glass followed, smashing against the front door. _

_It was eight forty-two. _

_Catherine Hawthorne's trembling hands attempted to scrub the stains off of the plates in the sink, trying not to drop them and make more of a mess. There were only a few seconds until he would clomp into the kitchen and yell some more._

_5, 4, 3, 2, 1._

_His heavy boots stomped against the floor, making the decorative china hanging on display on the walls rattle. The narrow doorway amplified Gale's already tremendous frame, and the dark skies outside blocked any light from filtering in through the windows, casting shadows over his face. He looked murderous._

_He was silent as he came to stand behind his wife. She tried to calm the tremors that wracked her body as she rinsed off a fork. _

_"You were late," she whispered. "You were supposed to be home at seven. You were late, so I ate by myself."_

_Gale's hands came down to grip her shoulders. She winced as he forcefully turned her around and shoved her against the countertop. His face was right in front of hers._

_"All I ask of you," he hissed, "is that you eat dinner with me. Is that too much to ask of my wife? _Is it_?"_

_His breath reeked of pinot noir and it made her stomach clench._

_"Do you maybe ever stop and think that the reason I was late was because I'm trying to make as much money as I possibly can to get us out of this shithole? Or are you too _stupid_ to draw that conclusion?"_

_Gale released her, and she slumped against the granite countertop in relief. He paced around the kitchen, pulling at his thick, dark hair. His work suit was crisp and spotless, just as it had been when he left that morning, but her eyes were suddenly glued to the new addition: the revolver nestled in the holster above his right hip._

_Catherine took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Gale. I was just tired and I wanted to go to bed-"_

_Gale cut her off with a sharp smack across her face. His wife cried out and fell to her knees, clutching the side of her face. Her salty tears burned her sensitive skin as they fell._

_"You were too tired from what?" Gale spat. "You don't do anything all day. What had you so exhausted that you couldn't stay up and eat with your husband?"_

_Catherine's answer was broken sobs and heaving breaths. _I don't even want to know where he got that gun_, she thought. _I just wish he would use it already_. Her shoulders shook and Gale buried his face in his hands._

_"Don't you realize," Gale whispered, "that everything I do I do for you? I want you to live in a _nice_ house, in a _nice_ neighborhood. I want you to have _nice_ clothes and drive a _nice_ car. Don't you see that? I just want you to be happy, Catnip."_

_"I know, baby," Catherine whispered. "I am happy."_

_Gale knelt to the ground and crawled into his wife's arms. "I love you so much, Catnip. Tell me that you love me."_

_"I love you, Gale," she repeated robotically. _

_"Don't ever leave me," he pleaded. Catherine sighed and rocked him as he cried. _

_"I love you, Gale."_

* * *

June 16th, 2013

"Good morning, Katniss," Peeta said as she exited the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. She gave him a polite smile and moved out of the way so he could slip in behind her. It had been two weeks since their quasi-kiss, and Peeta had made her feel terrible about it by apologizing profusely. They had agreed to continue on with their lives as if nothing had happened, but Katniss was beginning to wish they had made a different decision.

"Hey, Peeta," she said as she crossed the hall into her room. He shut the bathroom door gently and she bit back a smile. She seemed to be smiling a lot around him these days, sometimes for no reason at all.

They worked in a comfortable silence for most of the morning. Rye was stuck in the kitchen working on some cupcakes for a preschool graduation party and Haymitch had yet to emerge from his bedroom. Katniss had the sneaking suspicion that a hangover was to blame, but she kept her lips sealed.

She had just finished ringing up Greasy Sae and her granddaughter, who thanked Peeta multiple times for the "super awesome cupcakes made _especially_ for me!" when Peeta caught her attention.

"Your, uh, your hair looks nice today."

Katniss frowned and ran her fingers over her dark brown hair. It was braided the exact same way it had been every day for the past few weeks.

"Oh! Thanks, Peeta," she said after a beat. He grinned at her and leaned against the counter. His elbows met the countertop and he rested his head on his hands. Katniss was struck at how absolutely adorable he was.

She moved throughout the bakery, swiping crumbs off the tables and replenishing the napkins. Peeta pushed off the countertop and began adjusting the cookies in one of the display cases.

"Katniss, can I be honest with you for a second?"

Katniss smirked. "What, were you lying to me before?"

"No!" Peeta said hastily. "No, I'd never lie to you."

"Calm down, baker boy, I was messing with you," Katniss teased. "What were you saying?"

Peeta took a deep breath. "Well, I...uh, I can't stop thinking about the other day. You know, when we kind of almost, uh..."

"Kissed," Katniss finished for him softly. He exhaled loudly.

"Yeah, that."

"Well, if we're being honest here I guess I should probably say that I've been thinking about it quite often," she said. Peeta's face seemed to light up.

"Well, do you consider that a good thing? A sign of some sort?"

"I've never really believed in signs," Katniss said dryly.

"But it's a good thing, right? That we've both been thinking about it?"

Katniss bit her lip and looked down. Peeta sighed and came over to stand next to her.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," he said, lightly touching her arm. "I shouldn't have said anything. We agreed to not discuss it but I had to bring it up-"

"Yes," Katniss said firmly, looking up into his swirling blue orbs. "Yes, I think it's a good thing."

His eyes widened fractionally before a grin slowly spread across his lips. "Oh! Well, _that's_ a good thing."

Katniss laughed lightly, unconsciously sliding a bit closer to him.

"And well, what I was going to say before was that, um," Peeta cleared his throat, "I've been thinking about that a lot and I've also been thinking about how I'd like to take you on a date."

"A date?" Katniss arched her eyebrow. "You and me?"

"Well I certainly hope you wouldn't prefer you and Rye," Peeta said jokingly. Katniss swatted at his arm.

"Of course not! Rye's great and all but I just don't think we'd work out, you know?"

"And what about us?" Peeta took a step closer to her. "Do you think we'd work out?"

"That's a pretty loaded question considering we didn't have that date yet."

"So you'll allow it?" Peeta's hand came up to cup her cheek. She smiled widely.

"I'll allow it."

And then Peeta's lips descended on hers, fully this time. Her hands immediately found themselves wound into his hair and his free hand moved to her waist. Katniss pressed herself as close to him as she could get as their lips moved together. Every inch of her body was tingling.

She gasped a bit as Peeta pulled back and nipped at her lower lip. He looked at her, not making a sound, his eyes asking a silent question.

_Is this okay?_

Katniss ignored all of the voice in her head that had been telling her 'no' the whole time. Pushing the voice away and ridding herself of the crippling doubt and negativity, Katniss smiled and nodded enthusiastically at Peeta. He returned her smile with a grin so wide she worried his face might break in half and pulled her lips to his again.

For the first time in months, Katniss Everdeen let herself _feel_.

And she absolutely loved it.

* * *

Growing up, the Hawthorne boys had always gotten quite annoyed whenever a relative or some nosy passerby commented on how similar they looked. Gale and Rory were targeted especially, and now that they were grown men their resemblance was quite uncanny. The only differences between the two men was that Rory had a small birthmark underneath his left eye, and Gale usually kept to the scruffy, unshaven look whereas Rye couldn't grow a mustache to save his life.

Gale smirked as he drew the razor across his cheek. This was a time where he was extremely thankful that his brother was his carbon copy.

He rinsed the blade under the faucet and the hair swirled down the sink, leaving his cheek as smooth as the day he was born. Once he had gotten rid of ever last bit of facial hair, he wiped off his face and proceeded to the bedroom.

In the far right hand corner of the room was a little vanity table. Everything was pristine, exactly how she'd left it. Gale allowed himself to sit down on the padded bench in front of the table. He inhaled deeply, immersing himself in the last bits of his wife. He could still smell her.

Catherine had never used a lot of makeup, but she had the basics; mascara, eyeliner, foundation. Gale had watched her apply each every morning before they went out. With a shaking hand, he reached forward and clasped the small stick of eyeliner.

He uncapped it, and slowly raised it to his face. There, just below his left eye, he pressed the stick onto his skin.

"Hello, Officer Hawthorne," he murmured to himself.

A groan downstairs caught his attention. He stood up and jogged down the steps to where Rory was passed out on the couch in nothing but his boxers and white tee shirt.

"Gale?" he mumbled incoherently. His eyes were yet to open.

Gale reached for the bag of nightlock on the coffee table and crushed a few in his palm. Then he sprinkled the dust into the beer at Rye's feet and shook it gently.

"Hey, man," he said, "You tripped on the coffee table and hit your head. I'm glad you're finally awake."

Rory groaned and rubbed at his eyes. They opened and focused on his brother.

"Gale, are you in my uniform?"

Gale quickly thrust the drink forward. "Here, Rory, take a drink. Your vision is probably a little blurry."

Rory took the beer and hesitantly took a small sip. "No, it's not blurry...Gale, why are you wearing my uniform?" He took another swig from the bottle.

Gale didn't even bother to answer, because Rory barely managed to swallow his second sip before his eyes were rolling back in his head. The drug took its effect again, and he was out.

"Sorry, brother," Gale said, catching the beer before it spilled. "I'll be back soon."

He stood up and adjusted the policeman's uniform. It fit him right for the most part. The bulletproof vest underneath was a bit uncomfortable but he knew he had to look the part. He cracked his neck, grabbed his brother's keys, and was out the door.

The drive to the 5th precinct didn't take too long. He parked Rory's green Explorer in a space near the entrance of the building and slipped on a pair of sunglasses.

He hurried through the doors, greeting a few people but not saying enough or staying too close for them to notice if there were any discrepancies. There was a desk in the back marked 'Hawthorne', and he quickly slid behind it and booted up the computer.

No one said a word to him as he typed away furiously. His mouse was clicking at a feverish pace and he began biting his lip as he worked. When he was finished, he sat back in his chair with a heaving sigh.

_I can't believe I got away with this._

He leaned forward again and clicked on the 'Send' button, and then his creation was on its way to every single precinct across the United States of America.

_I'll find her now._

Gale stood up and made his way to the printer in the back of the room.. He swiped up one of the copies and tucked it into this pocket. He took the other in his hand and headed for the door. Just before he opened it, he tacked the paper to board where all of the notices were posted.

A somber, red-haired Catherine stared back at him. Bold letters encased the space above her face.

_Wanted_, it read, _For Attack of an Officer and Possession of Illegal Substances._

Below were the ten digits of his phone number and the information of the precinct.

"Don't worry, Catherine," he muttered, "You'll be back with me soon enough."

* * *

**Oh, Gale. Why must I make him so terrible? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're finally getting close to some Everlark lovin'. Please let me know what you thought!**

**I'm on tumblr as 'ohalaskayoung'. **

**xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy Wednesday, everyone! I am so excited to share this chapter with you guys.**

**I'd also like to dedicate this chapter to my amazing beta, wollaston, because...well...Rye.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter** **Eight**.

**July 29th, 2013**

"_Memory, all alone in the moonlight!" _ Rye cried as he danced around the bakery. Katniss didn't know what possessed him to try and sing Barbara Streisand like an opera singer, but it sure was entertaining. "_Touch me! It's so easy to leave me!_"

"For the love of God, Rye, would you give it a rest?" Haymitch groaned, banging his head on the counter. "Get back in the damn kitchen."

Katniss choked back a laugh as he continued to sing. She was waiting by the stairs for Peeta. They had both taken the day off so Peeta could take her out for the day. Their plan was to drive inland a bit and just enjoy the sights.

"_All alone with the memory of my days in the sun!_" Rye pirouetted around a table and waved a rag with a flourish.

"I swear to you Rye Mellark, if you don't shut up right now I'll-"

"_If you'll touch me, you'll understand what happiness is!_"

"Rye, I'm warning you..."

"_Look, a new day has begun_-"

Haymitch slapped his hand down on the counter. "_RYE_ _ELVIS MELLARK, I TOLD YOU TO BE QUIET!_"

The bakery was silent. Rye dropped the rag and stared at Haymitch in shock.

"You-you-you didn't-" he choked out.

Haymitch grinned evilly. "I did."

Rye's faced flushed a bright crimson, and he gasped awkwardly, sounding like a fish out of water. Haymitch began to laugh heartily, and Katniss couldn't help but add a chuckle or two.

"Your middle name is _Elvis_?"

"Sure is, sweetheart," Haymitch answered. "Quite a story behind that one."

Before she could ask about the story, Peeta appeared.

"You ready, Katniss?" Peeta asked as he jogged down the stairs. She looked away from red-faced Rye and nodded. Peeta wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a chaste kiss.

"What, no comments?" Peeta asked Rye when he pulled away. Rye shook his head and slumped dejectedly towards the kitchen.

"What's eating him?"

"Oh, nothing," Katniss said lightly. "I just found out about his middle name."

"Oh, really?" Peeta laughed. "Good. It's about time you had some leverage over him."

"_I can hear you!_"

"Alright, we're going!" Peeta grabbed Katniss' hand and pulled her towards the door. "I've got the car, Haymitch. We'll be back in a few hours."

"Use protection," Haymitch grunted.

Katniss squeaked in surprise and felt her face heat up. Peeta only rolled his eyes tucked her into his side. "Don't listen to him," he murmured as they walked to the car. "It's seems like he's on an 'embarrass-everyone-within-a-mile-radius' rampage today."

She hopped into the passenger side of the truck and buckled her seatbelt. "So, how _did_ Rye end up with the middle name Elvis, anyway?"

"Well," Peeta said as he put the truck in reverse. "Some people just can't handle Vegas."

"Ah," Katniss said knowingly. "But wait, I thought your parents lived in Las Vegas now?"

"They do," Peeta affirmed. "All because of when happened there in 1985."

"So , Rye was a Vegas baby?"

"If the story my dad told us is true, then yes." Peeta wound his fingers through hers and rested their entwined hands on the center console.

"So, what, your parents got drunk and decided to name their next child after the King of Rock?"

"Not exactly...

"It was my parents' first vacation since having my oldest brother, Graham. My father's brother had sprung for them to fly out to Vegas for a weekend while him and his wife babysat. My father had always wanted to go there and my mother was longing for some _alone time_. Needless to say, they got there and immediately threw themselves into every casino the Strip had to offer."

Katniss had never been to Las Vegas, but she had seen enough footage in movies and television shows to know that it was a parade of nude shows and gambling.

"Anyway, they were basically just getting completely trashed. I think they ended up at the Bellagio, where they met a few other couples who were equally wasted. One of them decided it would be a good idea to add 'a little something extra', and slipped a bit of Ecstasy into everyone's drinks."

"Holy shit," Katniss laughed. "That's psychotic."

"I know! My dad still doesn't know how they all didn't end up dead somewhere."

They were well out of Panem by now, and where speeding down the highway. Katniss tried to pay attention to both the road signs and Peeta's story.

"So, I don't know how much you know about Ecstasy, but it took its toll and my parents ended up in their hotel room, well..._you know_, when my dad realized they didn't have any protection. They had enough sense to know that they weren't ready for another kid, so my dad sprinted across the street to a shady drugstore and picked up a pack of condoms."

"So, wait, if they had condoms then how did your mom get pregnant?"

"My dad thought it would be funny to buy glow-in-the-dark condoms," Peeta said with a chuckle. "And I guess the more, I don't know, _functions_ they have, the shittier the condom. So they broke, um, _all_ of them, and nine months later they had Rye."

"But that doesn't explain how Rye's middle name is freaking _Elvis_."

Peeta brought Katniss' hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "Patience, young padawan."

She didn't even bother to acknowledge his Star Wars reference. "Come on, tell me!"

"Well, ironically enough, before they met their druggie friends, they were playing blackjack at some dingy casino where the dealer was dressed up as Elvis, and I guess they got to talking and some way or another my parents promised that guy that they would name their next child after him."

"I am having such a hard time believing this story," Katniss said with a snort."They drunkenly promised a random guy that they would name their next _child_ after him? And then they _did_?"

"Listen, this is just the story I was told!" Peeta said defensively. "I guess they thought it wasn't _that_ bad of an idea. It was only until he started school that Rye began to get made fun of for it. Then he made us all promise never to speak of it again."

Katniss relaxed back into her seat. "Well, believable or not, I'm glad I can finally use something against him, now."

They drove in comfortable silence for the next half hour or so. Katniss found her mind drifting through topics randomly, thinking about the laundry she needed to do when she got home in one minute to the condition of her eyebrows in another. Did they need plucking? She didn't want to look in the mirror, but now the thought was there.

She tried to remember the last time she had plucked them. It was definitely after she had arrived in Panem, over two months ago.

_Has it really been two months?_ she thought curiously. It didn't feel like any more than three weeks. _I suppose these last couple weeks have been a bit more...entertaining. And time flies when you're having fun._

For their first official date, Peeta had taken Katniss down to lunch at the marina and treated her to club sandwiches and ice cream. They had hung out by the water for a little while until they ran into Finnick and Annie Odair, who were preparing to go jet skiing. They invited them along, and the two couples spent the better part of their afternoon speeding around in the water. Katniss had never had so much fun in her life.

That is, until, she got a little too raucous in the water and ended up hurling her sandwich and ice cream into the bay.

That incident aside, the moments Katniss and Peeta had spent together had been nothing short of extraordinary. After their first _real_ kiss, it was difficult for them to keep their hands off each other. Two days after their first date, Peeta asked her to be his girlfriend, and then the floodgates were opened.

Katniss found herself blushing as she recalled the times they had spent together.

Like two weeks ago, while she was writing down an order someone had just called in, Peeta came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. She pretended to ignore him and continued to write down the specifications of the order. He pressed open-mouthed kisses down her neck and over the curve of her shoulder, making her shudder.

"Are you trying to distract me?" she whispered as he lightly bit her shoulder. He chuckled against her skin.

"Is it working?"

"That depends..."

Peeta's tongue ran over the bite. "On what, my dear?"

"On-" her voice hitched as he pressed himself firmly into her behind, "On what you plan to do once you have my attention."

He spun her around and pressed her down so her back was flat against the counter. "Wicked things, Katniss Everdeen. Wicked things."

Or how they took a walk through the woods and somehow ended up in the lake together, clad in nothing but their underwear.

But her personal favorite was just a few days ago, when Peeta and Haymitch went to go pick up a pizza and Peeta whisked her upstairs to her bedroom and spent half an hour with his head between her legs.

_Definitely a night to remember,_ she thought as they drove.

"Oh, fuck!"

The expletive shocked her from her steamy reveries. The truck shuddered and groaned, and then they were suddenly slowing down. Peeta maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road so the other cars wouldn't smash into them, and within seconds the truck was dead.

"You have got to be kidding me," Peeta groaned, smashing his head on the steering wheel. Katniss moved her hand over his shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"It's okay, Peeta," she said softly.

"No, it's not!" His head hit the wheel again. "Damn it, I wanted to do something nice for you."

Her other hand cupped his cheek and turned his head so he was looking into her eyes. "We can still have a fun time somehow, Peeta. Why don't you just call a tow truck or something and we'll figure the rest out?"

He nodded dejectedly and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Within minutes he was on the line with a tow service, and they promised to be there within twenty minutes.

When the tow truck arrived, the driver took a look at the pair and offered a sad smile. "You two kids on a date?"

"We were hoping to be," Peeta grumbled. The man laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, kid. There's a diner a little ways up the road, just off of the next exit. I know it probably wasn't what you wanted to do today, but at least you could relax a bit and get a nice meal before figuring out your plans."

"Thank you," Katniss told him with a small smile. "We appreciate it."

"Not a problem, ma'am," he said. "We'll give you a call when your car's all set. You two have a nice day, now."

"Thanks," said Peeta. "You, too."

The truck pulled away, the old Jeep looking sad on the back of it. Peeta groaned for the millionth time and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to see if Finn can come pick us up," he told Katniss. She nodded and his fingers flew over the buttons. After a few seconds, he spoke.

"Hey, Finn," Peeta sighs into the phone. "Listen, Katniss and I are broken down about half an hour away. We're on Ocean Highway West, just outside of Shallotte. Would you be able to come get us?"

There was silence, and then Peeta smiled. "Thanks so much, man I owe you one."

They hung up, and Peeta turned to Katniss. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

"Should we start walking now?" she mumbled. He sighed and nodded against her head. Arms around each other, they began walking up the road, careful to avoid the cars on the side of them.

They had only been walking for about ten minutes before a rumbling startled them. Katniss looked up to the sky to see that dark, menacing clouds had rolled in.

"Oh, shit," she mumbled. Peeta looked up as well.

"No way."

Seconds after he spoke, the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down. Katniss squealed as the icy water drenched her body. Peeta quickly grabbed her hand and the pair started springing up the road. The exit was in sight and the made it there quickly. As they turned the corner, they saw a small little shack with a sadly lit sign.

_Chaff's Fine Dining._

Peeta tugged Katniss forward, and the ran across the street, giggling like little kids. Their hair was plastered to their faces and they both looked like they had escaped from the depths of the sea.

"After you, milady," Peeta said loudly over the thundering of the rain, opening the door. Katniss ducked inside the diner, wringing out her hair as she went.

"Hello?" she called. The booths were empty, the counter abandoned. A few sad children's menus and broken crayons were on the hostess stand. Peeta shut the door behind him and shook his head, sending water droplets flying everywhere.

"No one's here?" he asked, peeling his wet tee away from his body. "The sign said it was open."

"Well, we might as well take a seat," Katniss said, sliding into a booth. "How soon will Finnick be here?"

"He said by three the latest." Peeta checked his watch. "That gives us about two hours to ourselves."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Katniss asked mischievously. Peeta grinned.

"I can think of a few things."

"Like...?" Katniss prompted.

"We could play a game."

"A game? Like what, 'I Spy'?"

Peeta chuckled. "A bit more grown-up than that, but yes, a game."

"Okay." Katniss drummed her fingers against the table. "You start."

"Fine, then. Would you rather eat off your own arm or have someone else eat it for you?"

Katniss gagged. "Jesus, Peeta! What kind of question is that?"

"I don't know, just something to get the ball rolling." His hair was starting to dry and it curled up adorably around the sides.

"Ugh, eat it myself, I guess. Can we not ask such cannibalistic questions?"

Peeta nodded with a sly smile, and stretched his arms behind his head and Katniss could just make out a little sliver of skin between his pants and his shirt. She shuddered and tried to focus on her question.

"How about this: Would you rather drink a shot glass full of soy sauce or sniff Haymitch's feet?"

Peeta's face twisted horribly. "That's disgusting, Katniss. Um, the soy sauce I guess." He shuddered once for good measure. "Never have chocolate again or never have any cookies again?"

"Cookies, easy. I can't live without chocolate."

"I've noticed."

"Hey!"

"Don't 'hey' me, ask your question!"

"Would you rather orgasm every five years or every five seconds?"

Peeta burst out laughing. "That's a tough one! I mean, every five seconds it would lose its pizzazz, you know? Every five years it would be _huge_."

"So you pick five years?"

"Oh, no," Peeta said hastily. "No, I wouldn't."

Katniss smirked. "So, five seconds then?"

"I guess." Peeta ran his fingers through his hair. "Jesus, woman, that was a loaded question."

"Not really," she said. "What's yours?"

"Would you rather lose your voice forever or lose your sense of smell?"

"What kind of question is that?" Katniss laughed. "Smell, obviously."

"Weirdo," Peeta teased. Katniss opened her mouth to object then he spoke again. "Kidding, kidding! I'd pick that, too. Your turn, missy."

Katniss huffed and pulled at the ends of her hair. "Would you rather never have to pay for food again or never have to pay for gas again?"

"Gas. Absolutely. No question."

"I'd choose food without a doubt," she added.

"Yeah, well, you don't drive," Peeta jibed good-naturedly. "Why is that, by the way?"

Katniss stilled. "I, um, I don't particularly like it, that's all."

"Why? Did you ever learn?"

"Yes," she said a bit too hastily. "I know _how_ to drive I just can't stand being behind the wheel."

"But why?" Peeta pressed.

"_I just do._"

Her cold voice seemed to echo throughout the empty restaurant. Peeta slunk back in his seat and eyed her warily. "You know, Katniss, we're in a relationship. That means communication is a big factor. I can see that driving is a sore topic for you, so I won't press it anymore, but someday I'd like to know the reason why. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered. Tears pricked at her eyes and she blinked furiously to keep them at bay.

_Idiot. You're such an idiot. _

"Hey." Peeta's hand breached the gap between the pair and grabbed hers. He squeezed it lightly. "Would you rather me come over there and kiss you until I can't breathe or would you rather sit with a pout on that beautiful face of yours?"

Katniss shook her head slowly, but a smiling was forming. "Neither." She slowly slid out of her bench and stepped over to his. She deposited herself onto Peeta's lap and nestled her head into the crook of his neck. His arms encircled her almost immediately.

"I'm sorry," she said against his skin. "I don't mean to be so nasty to you, Peeta. I swear that I don't."

"I know, Katniss," he murmured into her hair.

"You mean _so much_ to me, Peeta. _So much_. I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt you."

"I know," he repeated, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"And I promise you that one day I will tell you everything." Her arms tightened around his body and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Everything."

* * *

**Note: I have made an account on Archive Of Our Own, with the username 'ohalaskyoung'. You probably noticed that I also changed my username on here to 'ohalaskayoung', purely for consistency reasons. So now my username is the same on AO3, FF, and tumblr. Come chat with me anywhere!**

**xoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to my beta, wollaston, for her help with this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter****Nine****.**

**July 29th, 2013**

By the time Finnick and Annie arrived, it was already past dusk and a coat of darkness covered the area. Katniss and Peeta snuggled next to each other in the backseat of their friends' Range Rover, and before they even made it to the highway Katniss felt herself nodding off. Before she fully succumbed to slumber, she was able to focus on bits and pieces of the conversation between Peeta and his friends.

"What were you guys planning on doing, anyway?" Finnick asked.

"I just wanted to show Katniss around," Peeta said, rubbing her shoulder lightly. "She hasn't left Panem since she got here."

"I hear you, buddy. Panem's great, but sometimes you need a change."

"I like Panem just fine," Katniss mumbled.

"That's what I always said," Annie chimed in. "When we first moved here we were having some doubts about staying, but I always thought that Panem was such a nice place."

"And the people aren't that bad, either," said Katniss. Peeta kissed her forehead.

"So, Finn, I hear there's a special day coming up for the two of you."

Annie smiled back at them and took her husband's hand. "Yup. August first marks six years."

"Six years of what?" Katniss yawned.

"Marriage, baby!" Finnick said loudly. "Can you believe she stuck with me for so long?"

"It's hard to believe I put up with your obnoxious self for six minutes, let alone six years," Annie said dryly.

"Oh, come on, you know you love me."

"I do," she said with a smile, leaning over to kiss him. "More and more each day."

"Hey, hey, eyes on the road!" Peeta called out. The couple pulled away from each other with a laugh.

"Don't worry about my driving, Mellark. Be thankful my car's actually working."

"Alright, you two," Katniss said, her eyes starting to flutter closed. "Be nice."

"Yeah, listen to your woman, Peeta," Finnick teased.

"Always do, Finn," Peeta said as Katniss felt herself drift off. "I always do."

* * *

When she woke up, she was in Peeta's arms, being carried bridal style through the bakery. A loud, barking voice startled her into consciousness.

"Peeta, I've told you time and time again that drugging women is no way to get them to date you."

Katniss shifted in her boyfriend's arms and rubbed at her eyes. "Shut up, Rye," she grumbled.

Peeta chuckled and helped her to stand up. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked upstairs.

"Well, good evening Sleeping Beauty," Rye said, following them up the stairs. "I heard you guys had an amazing time. Thanks for breaking our car, by the way."

"S'not my fault!" Katniss managed to say through a yawn.

"Yeah, but now we don't have any means of transportation. Unless someone decides to fire up their motorcycle..."

"Can it, Rye," Peeta snapped. "I'm never riding that thing again."

"Then why don't you sell it, huh?"

"Just drop it." Peeta guided Katniss towards her bedroom. "Goodnight, dearest brother."

"_Buenas noches_," Rye said with a smirk. "Enjoy your evening, lovebirds."

Peeta slammed the door in his face, and Katniss collapsed onto her bed with another yawn. "Why am I so tired?" she said. "I didn't even do anything today."

"You've been working hard," Peeta said, climbing on top of her. He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "You can be tired if you want to be."

"That's the thing," Katniss purred, clasping her hands together behind Peeta's neck. "I don't _want_ to be tired."

"Oh? Then what _do_ you want to be?"

Katniss grinned. "Wide awake."

"Well, then." Peeta kissed her again, harder. "Are you wide awake now?"

She yawned dramatically and shook her head. "Not even close."

A series of kisses down her neck. "How about now?"

"Nope."

Strong hands came up to massage her breasts and his tongue entered her mouth. "Wide awake yet?"

"Still tired," she mumbled against his lips.

Peeta pulled back enough to slide her shirt over her head, and then his was soon to follow.

"Are you sure?" He licked slowly at her collarbones as his fingers deftly unfastened her bra. Within seconds she was down to nothing but her underwear, simple pair of dark forest green pair of boy shorts. Peeta still had his jeans on, and Katniss reached down to unbutton them.

Peeta stilled, then continued leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach, but she could sense his hesitation.

"Wait." Katniss gently pushed him away from her. They were moving towards uncharted territory. Peeta had yet to remove his pants in front of her, despite her adamant claims that she did not care about his prosthetic. "Are you okay with this?"

Peeta rocked back so he was sitting on his knees. "I am if you are, Katniss."

Katniss propped herself up on her elbows. "I have no qualms whatsoever about your leg, Peeta. But if you're feeling uncomfortable then we don't-"

Peeta stood quickly and started unbuttoning his jeans. They pooled at his feet, revealing dark grey boxer briefs and, as Katniss looked lower, the shiny metal of his fake leg.

It was nothing strange. It looked just like the prosthetics from television and documentaries. He didn't look odd or scary. He looked like himself. He looked like Peeta.

"Come here," Katniss said softly, slowly laying back down. Peeta resumed his position on top of her. She kissed him languidly, and the thin and stretchy material of his underwear allowed her to feel him harden against her thigh.

"You are perfect," she mumbled against his lips. "Don't ever forget that."

"Katniss, I l-" Peeta stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm not so sure I'm ready for more."

Katniss let out a long breath. _Thank God,_ she thought. "I don't think I am either," she admitted. "I _want_ to, but..."

"But it's too soon," Peeta finished for her. She nodded, and he kissed her forehead."When it's time, we'll know."

Katniss wrapped her arms around him and rolled them over.

"For now, we sleep," Peeta declared. Katniss tilted her head up to look at him.

"I know today didn't go as planned," she murmured, tracing his jaw with her finger. "But I still had a good time."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Peeta chuckled, kissing her again. "We will definitely have a redo soon."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Katniss let her eyes drift shut, and within minutes she was asleep.

* * *

Euphegenia Trinket, or Effie, as she reminded everyone, was on the worse side of sixty, and always insisted that the obnoxious pink wig she wore everywhere was her real hair. Despite her initial strangeness, she was a kind-hearted woman, and Catherine Hawthorne always took the time to say hello and chat with her, even if Gale insisted they just ignore her.

Which was why he didn't believe her when she said she didn't know where Catherine was.

"Please, Gale," she whimpered, the cool metal of his revolver pressed firmly against her temple. "You're a good man. This isn't you."

"Shut the fuck up," he snapped. He clicked back the safety and Effie flinched. "It didn't have to be like this, Trinket. Just tell me where she is."

"I don't know where she is!" Effie cried. Tears streamed down her face and smeared her garish makeup. "If I knew where she was I'd tell you in a second. I want her back, too!"

"Don't lie to me," he scoffed.

"It's true! Catherine was always so sweet to me. Ever since my husband died I've been so lonely, and she would be kind and-"

"Stop feeding me this bullshit!" Gale yelled. He whipped the revolver across her face and she crumpled to the ground. "If you don't tell me where she is in three seconds I will blow your fucking head off."

"Fine," she choked out, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. "Fine, I'll tell you."

Effie eased herself into a sitting position, Gale's revolver still trained on her.

"Three seconds."

"She was going to California," Effie said quickly. "At least, that's what she told me. She had been saving money for months."

"To California?" Gale scoffed. "How the hell was the supposed the get there?"

"She was going to hitchhike to the airport and hop on the first plane. That's all she told me, I swear to you."

Gale looked down at the sniveling woman before him. Her makeup was so disheveled that she looked like a drowned clown. She was pathetic, really. A poor excuse for a human.

"Thank you, Effie Trinket," Gale said coolly. "You've been a big help to me."

"Please, just get her some saf-"

_Bang_.

Effie's body crumpled to the ground, a pool of blood forming around her head. Gale reached down and tucked the revolver into her lifeless hand. Her eyes were still open, staring at him in shock. He closed them, and then brushed off his pants and left her house.

On his way across the street to his house, a shadowy figure in the dark orange glow of the streetlights, he dialed 911. "Hello," he said, a bit panicked. "Um, I think my neighbor just committed suicide."

The operator asked him the standard questions, to which he gave the appropriate responses, and within minutes they were sending paramedics over. Gale let himself into his house and poured himself a glass of whiskey. After taking a sip, he dialed another number.

"When is your next available flight to California?"

* * *

**I love Effie, I truly do. I'm very sad that I had to kill her off, but you do what you have to do for the sake of the plot. What did you guys think?**

**Find me on tumblr or AO3 as 'ohalaskayoung'.**

**xoxo**


	11. Chapter 11

**This has been kind of a shitty week for me guys. I hope yours has been better. Lots of love goes out to wollaston, my amazing beta. :)**

**Please, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter ****Ten****.**

**August 12th, 2013**

"Hello!" Katniss called as she heard the jingling of the bells that indicated the door of the bakery being opened. She was surprised; it was almost closing time. Her head was bowed, quickly scribbling an order onto a notepad. "How may I help you?"

"Are you Katniss Everdeen?"

Her head snapped up to see an elderly man sitting at one of the tables. His hair was white and thinning, a contrast to his full beard. He wore a suit fit for a ball, with a small white rose pinned to the lapel. His eyes, dark, snake-like, were unblinking as he stared at her.

"I might be," she said levelly.

"I think," he said, in an equally cool tone, "that it would be for the best if we didn't lie to each other."

Katniss put down her pen and placed both hands on the countertop. "Yes, I am Katniss Everdeen."

"My name is Coriolanus Snow," he told her, "and it is quite a pleasure to meet you. You've been the talk of the town."

"I'm sorry?"

"What with your sudden appearance and what not. Also, your apparent relationship with the youngest Mellark boy, who also appears to be your employer. Is any of this incorrect?"

"No," Katniss said firmly, "but I fail to see why it is important."

Coriolanus Snow stood from his chair and slowly walked over to the counter. Each step was punctuated by the click of his cane on the tiled floor of the bakery.

"It isn't," Snow said. He tapped a gloved hand against the countertop. "I'd like a slice of that red velvet cake, please."

Katniss nodded and retrieved the cake from the display. She cut a decent sized slice and slid it onto a plate. "That's two dollars, even," she said as she handed it to the man. As he paid her, she retrieved a napkin and a fork and knife and gave them to him as well.

"Thank you, Miss Everdeen."

Praying that Peeta would come out from the kitchen, Katniss stood there awkwardly as Snow took bite after miniscule bite of the cake. She pretended to wipe off the counters and rearrange the displays as his eyes followed her every move. Finally he finished his slice and wiped his mouth with the napkin.

"How is he doing?" Snow asked her. "Peeta Mellark."

"He's just fine," Katniss said briskly. Snow noticed her ferocity and chuckled.

"Please do not take me the wrong way, Miss Everdeen," he implored her. "I do not mean any harm. I'd just like to know how he's been. He was almost my grandson, after all."

Katniss' blood ran cold. "W-What do you mean?"

"He didn't tell you?" Snow's lips rose in a cruel smile. "My granddaughter, Delilah, was engaged to Mister Mellark."

Katniss recovered quickly with a smirk of her own. "Oh, he told me about Delly. He also told me about how she left him after his accident because she was too selfish to be with someone who was missing a leg."

Snow's grin disappeared. "We all make our choices, Miss Everdeen. Some are not as good as others."

"That's the truth," Katniss grumbled.

"What was that?" Snow leaned in, and Katniss took a step back. "Someone's made some unsavory decisions, hmm?"

_Ew. _"You said it yourself, Mr. Snow. We all make our choices. Some are not as good as others."

"Katniss!" Peeta called from the kitchen. The door swung open and he edged his way out, his back to her. "Can you give me a hand with this?"

She raced forward to help him balance the multiple trays he was attempting to carry. Once they placed them on the cooling racks, he pulled her in close for a kiss.

"Thank you, beautiful."

"Um, Peeta..." Her eyes wandered over to Snow, who was staring at them.

"Oh!" Peeta whirled around and offered his hand to the man. "Mr. Snow! How have you been?"

Snow didn't take Peeta's hand, and he awkwardly let it fall. "I have been better, Mr. Mellark."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Peeta let his hand wrap around Katniss' waist. He didn't ask about Delly.

"I was just having a lovely chat with Miss Everdeen," Snow continued. "She is quite something."

"Oh, I know that," Peeta said with a grin as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Snow's eyes did not leave hers, and Katniss found herself to be growing colder each second.

"I must say that she is quite a change from my granddaughter."

Peeta tensed. "Well, please don't be offended when I say that I much prefer Katniss."

In any other situation, Katniss would have been elated to hear those words. But Snow's glare was growing increasingly treacherous by the second. Her breaths were coming in quick pants and her face was being to flush.

"Of course." Snow adjusted his suit jacket. "Well, I must be on my way. Good luck with your future decisions, Miss Everdeen. It was lovely talking to both of you."

Peeta looked down at Katniss with an arched eyebrow. She gave Snow a watery smile and tried futilely to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke. "It was nice talking to you, too."

"Oh, Miss Everdeen," Snow said with a light chuckle as he walked towards the door. "I thought we agreed not to lie to each other."

Peeta turned to her once Snow was out the door. "Katniss? What did he mean by future decisions?"

She did not answer him, finding it difficult to speak as her breaths were becoming shallower and shallower.

"Katniss...? Your face is all flushed, are you okay? Katniss? _Katniss_!"

She yanked herself free from his grip and flew towards the stairs. She vaguely heard him yell for Haymitch to watch the store as he followed her. She had just reached her bedroom door when his fingers closed around her wrists.

Katniss screeched, a high-pitched, terrified scream that made Peeta dropped her arm as if it had burned him. "Don't touch me!" she cried out, cowering in the corner of her room. "Please, please don't hurt me."

Peeta made sure to give her a wide berth as he studied her. Her eyes, now filled with tears, were wide and feral. She was looking at him in fear, as if he'd attack her at any moment.

"Katniss," he said slowly. "Look at me, baby. I'm not going to hurt you."

Her breathing began to slow down, and he took a tentative step towards her.

"It's me, Katniss. It's Peeta. I'm not going to hurt you."

Katniss gasped and suddenly her eyes were clear, as if she had been woken from a trance. She threw herself at Peeta and buried her head in his shoulder. His arms encased her immediately, not gripping her too tightly but hard enough to keep her close.

"I'm sorry," she gasped out through her sobs. "I'm so sorry, Peeta."

"Shh, Katniss, it's alright," he soothed. "What happened? Was it something Mr. Snow said?"

She didn't know why he made her so uncomfortable. His mere presence had sent chills up her spine. He had looked at her and had spoken to her like he was trying to pry something out of her. Like he knew what she was hiding.

It had terrified her.

"Come on, Katniss, talk to me," Peeta pleaded as he rubbed her back.

Katniss pulled out of his embrace and brought his face down to hers. She kissed him hard, trying to convey everything she felt into the movement of her lips. She wanted to memorize the feeling of his lips on hers. She had a feeling it might be their last one.

"I'm sorry," she said again when they broke apart. "I'm so sorry, Peeta, I didn't mean to react to you like that. I just got lost in my head for a little bit."

"Please just tell me what's going on, Katniss. I can't help you when I'm in the dark."

Katniss eased Peeta down so he was sitting on the edge of her bed. She remained standing and began pacing around the room. He was right, of course. She knew what she had to do.

She had to tell him everything.

* * *

Coriolanus Snow pulled his Audi into the parking lot of the police station. The retired police chief got out of the car and made his way into the building.

"Good evening, sir," said Gloss, their newest officer. Snow nodded in his direction and headed for the back office. It used to be his, but it now belonged to a middle-aged woman named Paylor. He knocked on the door and was pleased to find it unoccupied. Taking a look around to see if anyone was watching, he slipped inside. He made his way over to the bulletin board above her desk.

"There you are," he murmured, pulling loose a flyer that he had tucked away from sight during his last visit. It was slightly wrinkled, and the ink was fading. He smoothed it out against the wall and studied it again.

He could tell that it was supposed to be in color, but the printer at the station only had blank ink, so the woman's hair was slightly darker than it was supposed to be. But the rest of her features were clear, and so were the words printed on the paper.

_Wanted_, it read, _For Attack of an Officer and Possession of Illegal Substances._

Snow smiled grimly as he read the name on the bottom.

_Catherine Crane. _

He reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out his phone. After dialing the number listed, he put the phone up to his ear.

"Hello, Mr. Hawthorne? I believe I have some information that would be useful to you."

* * *

"Do you remember when I said that one day I'd tell you everything?"

Peeta nodded, his hands clasped tightly together. "I do."

"I need you to promise to listen to the whole story, okay? You can ask me whatever you want when I'm done, but I need to get it all out or else I'll never be able to say it."

"You can tell me, Katniss," Peeta said, taking her hands in his. "Whatever it is. I want you to be honest with me."

"Please just remember how much I care about you," she choked out. "You mean everything to me, and nothing I say is going to change that."

"I know," he said. "And nothing will change how I feel for you, Katniss. I promise."

"Okay." She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "For starters, my name is not Katniss Everdeen."

Peeta's brow furrowed, but he didn't speak. Katniss looked into his eyes, gorgeous pools of blue that stared unwaveringly at her, and began her story.

"My name is Catherine Crane."

* * *

**The next chapter is a huge one, so please hang on tight. Let me know what you think so far!**

**xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

**I have the greatest beta on this planet. Hugs and kisses to wollaston.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter****Eleven****.**

**September 11th, 2001**

_"Daddy, I don't want you to go to work today."_

_Catherine Crane rubbed her eyes tiredly as she watched her father lace up his boots. He looked up at her in surprise._

_"Hey, Caty-bird," he said, double-knotting his shoelaces and standing up. "Isn't it a bit early for you to be up?"_

_"Can't you stay home today?" she asked, padding forward to rest her head on his stomach. _

_"I'm sorry, honey, but not today. You have school, don't you? Even if I did stay home, we wouldn't be able to see each other."_

_"I'll stay home, too! Please, Daddy, don't go today!"_

_He disentangled himself from Catherine and knelt down so they were at eye level with each other. _

_"Catherine, I have to go. Fires don't fight themselves." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and slipped on his FDNY jacket. "I'll be back at four."_

_"Okay," she mumbled dejectedly. "I love you, Daddy."_

_"Love you, too, Caty-bird," he said. "Keep an eye on your mother and sister for me."_

_"I will," she promised. And then he patted the top of her head, opened the door, and left the apartment._

_She had just taken a seat at her desk when the principal's voice came over the intercom, slightly shaky and cracking at weird parts. The children listened and the teacher grew paler and paler with each passing second as the principal told them all about the airplanes that had crashed and how we were to remain calm. _

_Within minutes of that announcement, another was made letting all of the students know that school was canceled for the rest of the day, and Catherine immediately raced from the fifth grade hallway to the kindergarten hallway, where her younger sister was waiting patiently at her desk, tears streaming down her face._

_"It'll be okay," Catherine told her, rocking her small body back and forth. "Daddy will save all those people for their families, don't worry."_

_But nobody was able to save their daddy for them._

* * *

_October 9th, 2001_

_"I'm very sorry, Catherine," her uncle Brutus told her in a voice that did not sound very sorry at all. "It is a shame that your mother was so weak-minded. I sincerely hope you are not the same way."_

_Three days ago, Catherine's mother had driven off a bridge with her sleeping sister Primrose in the back seat. The horrific suicide had shocked news stations and reporters all over the state. Catherine had not yet progressed from the initial numbness she had felt when she heard the news._

_She loved her mother very much, but she knew she wasn't her favorite. Catherine was the spitting image of her father; they had the same grey eyes, the same dark hair, even the same cupid's bow lips. They even had the same mannerisms, the same love for song. Primrose was a carbon copy of their mother, and they had always been thick as thieves. It was not a shock to Catherine that her mother had taken Prim with her. _

_But it still killed her inside just the same. _

_She knew her dad was gone, but wasn't she reason enough to stay?_

_"We will go back to your apartment tomorrow morning," Uncle Brutus told her, "and collect your things. Then we will head back to my home tomorrow evening."_

_Catherine had never known she had an Uncle Brutus. Apparently, he was her mother's brother. They never spoke to or about her side of the family. Catherine's mother, Flora, had gotten pregnant with her when she was still in high school. Her parents had tried desperately to keep her away from the man who had gotten her pregnant- Oliver Everdeen. _

_They had forbidden them to be together until she was eighteen, and by that point, Catherine had already been born. Since the pair were not married, Flora's parents had insisted that she give the baby her last name, which was Crane. _

_Flora and Oliver were unable to marry until a few years later, due to the fact that Flora's parents had thrown her out once she decided to be with Oliver when she turned eighteen, and they had virtually no income. Soon after their long-awaited marriage, Flora found out she was pregnant again, and that's when they moved to Brooklyn and Oliver joined the FDNY. _

_It had been eleven years since Flora's family had made contact with her. When the police retrieved her body from the water, it took them two days to track down her family, and they found that her brother Brutus was the closest in location. He lived on Long Island, and it was determined then that he would become Catherine's legal guardian. _

_She did not like him. Not one bit. _

_But it had been almost a month since she liked anything at all._

* * *

_March 19th, 2005_

_"Marvel, stop it."_

_His grimy hands continued to work their way underneath Catherine's tank top. She pushed them away again. _

_"Marvel, I said stop."_

_He pulled back, his jaw set in a firm line. Her lips were sticky form his saliva and she wiped them on the back on her arm. _

_"Catherine, don't be such a prude. I thought we were having fun."_

_The shed behind her uncle Brutus' home was growing more and more cramped as the seconds ticked on. A cold sweat began to break out on her forehead. _

_"I-I don't want to do this anymore," she said hurriedly. "I'm sorry. Thank you for being my first kiss and all, but I don't really want to do anything else-"_

_"Are you kidding me?" Marvel cried, shoving away from her. He stood up and brushed off his pants. "You're such a cocktease, Catherine."_

_"I'm really sorry, Marvel." Catherine blinked back tears that threatened to spill over. He cast her a disgusted look. _

_"Whatever, Catherine. It's not like I'd go all the way with you anyway."_

_"You- you wouldn't?" She didn't want to, that's for certain. But why wouldn't he?_

_"No," he scoffed, opening the door. Moonlight streamed in, temporarily blinding her. " Kissing is one thing- I mean, our eyes are closed. But you wouldn't even let me get to second base, and you're not even that pretty. So no one will probably ever want to go all the way with you."_

_Then he walked out of the shed, leaving Catherine on the ground, her cheeks growing wet with tears._

* * *

_May 14th, 2012_

_"Come on, come on, come on."_

_The line at Sears was so long that it almost looped around register. Catherine shifted from foot to foot, anxiously trying to contain her bladder. Gale glanced sideways at her. _

_"Are you alright?" he asked with narrowed eyes. He stood stiff, facing straight ahead, but with his hands in his pockets. _As long as they stayed in his pockets,_ Catherine thought. _Everything will be fine as long as they stay in his pockets.

_"I just have to use the bathroom, that's all," Catherine told her husband with a smile. He didn't return her grin, but after a moment he shifted his body towards her. _

_"Give me your dress," Gale told her, motioning to the thin cotton fabric draped across Catherine's arm. They were going to a barbeque next weekend in celebration of Memorial Day, and he insisted that she get a new outfit for the occasion. "I'll wait here while you go to the bathroom."_

_"Oh, it's okay. I can hol-"_

_"Catherine." Gale's voice took on an edge, and she silenced. "You look like you're about to wet yourself. Go to the bathroom."_

_Catherine nodded numbly, but forced a smile onto her lips and she handed her husband her dress. "I'll be back in just a few minutes, honey." She pressed a kiss to his chapped lips and then maneuvered herself out of the line._

_The nearest bathroom was just outside of the department store. Catherine hurried towards it, moving as fast as she could without peeing her pants. She shoved open the door to the bathroom, and almost collided with a petite redhead. _

_"Sorry!" she gasped, then noticed the long line of people. "Is this the line?"_

_The redhead nodded with a contempt scowl. "I've been waiting for nearly ten minutes."_

_Catherine swallowed a groan and fled from the cramped bathroom. _There has to be another one around here, _she thought desperately. A mall cop passed by her on his scooter, and she flagged him down. _

_"Excuse me," she asked breathlessly. A sweat was beginning to form on her brow. "Is there another restroom around here?"_

_"There's one down that hallway," he told her, pointing to the left wing of the shopping mall. "It'll be on your right, just past Abercrombie & Fitch."_

_"Thank you," she gasped, and took off. Her ballerina flats smacked loudly against the tiled slabs under feet until the facilities were in view. Her shoulder hit the door and it flew open with ease, and Catherine was relieved to see that it was as deserted as a parking lot after store hours._

_She hurried into a stall and sat down on the cool porcelain. Once she had relieved herself, she stood up with a relieved sigh and opened the door to the stall._

_"The funniest thing happened just now."_

_Catherine froze, halfway out of the stall. Gale stood a few feet away from her, leaning casually on the closed door. A Sears bag sat on the counter. She took a shaky breath, and then continued to the sink. _

_"What happened, honey?" she asked. Her hands shook under the tepid water from the faucet._

_"Well, just about a minute after you left they decided that it would be a good idea to open up a few more registers, thus making the line move a lot faster. I thought, _'Hey, wouldn't it have been great if they thought to do that a few minutes ago? We could've gotten out of here sooner.' _But at least they did it, right?"_

_"That was sensible of them," Catherine agreed. Her palms slapped loudly against the soap dispenser._

_"Then, it was almost my turn to go up to the register. I started looking around for you, but I wasn't worried, because I knew you'd be back to me soon."_

_One of Gale's hands sneaked up and clicked the lock on the door. The snap echoed throughout the empty bathroom. _

_"But you weren't," he said, "were you?"_

_"No," Catherine said slowly, rinsing the foamy soap residue from her hands. "I wasn't."_

_Gale clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in a 'tut-tut' manner and slowly shook his head. _

_"But it was only because the bathroom by Sears was completely full. If I hadn't gone to this one I probably would've been waiting still."_

_The hulking man took a small step forward as the shaking woman turned off the faucet. _

_"I wasn't finished with my story."_

_Catherine froze, her hand in midair as she reached for the paper towel dispenser. Gale took another step forward, then another, and another, until he was standing directly behind her. One of his massive hands snaked up her side and wrapped a strand of her sunshine hair around his finger. _

_"Finally, it was my turn," he continued. "And I was a little upset that you weren't there, because I was buying _your_ dress, wasn't I?"_

_He didn't pause for her to answer. _

_"And when the stupid bitch at the register rung it up, do you know what the price was?"_

_Catherine's voice came out as a squeak. "It was on the fifteen dollar rack."_

_"Well it sure as hell wasn't fifteen dollars." Gale's hand crept dangerously close to her throat. "Come on. Guess. How much do you think I paid for you to have something nice, you greedy little twat?"_

_"I don't know, Gale, I thought it-"_

_"You didn't think!" Gale roared. His hand retreated from her through and instead caught a fistful of her hair. He yanked hard, and she cried out as her head snapped back and searing pain shot through her scalp. _

_"You never think, do you Catherine? I had to spend seventy-five dollars on that fucking thing because _you _wanted it. I looked like an idiot because I didn't have enough money and some fat fuck in line behind me had to loan me some cash! All because you're so goddamn selfish, Catherine!"_

_He released her hair and shoved her away from him. Her body thumped against the cool tiled walls and she hastily tried to wipe away the tears streaming down her face whilst massaging her burning scalp. _I'm so stupid, _she thought as she hiccupped and wiped her nose. _I should've double-checked the price. I'm so, so stupid.

_"Gale, I'm sorry," she tried, stepping forward. The back of Gale's hand made contact with her cheek, and the slap of skin of skin resonated throughout the room. Catherine gasped, but it was a pain she was used to. She resisted the urge to cup her cheek, and instead tried to speak again. _

_"Gale, baby," she whispered. "I'm sorry. It was my mistake. I should have made sure the dress was the right price. Someone must have put it on the rack by accident."_

_"That is just like you, Madge!" Gale snapped. "Blaming others for your mistakes."_

_Catherine cringed. "But I said it was my mista-"_

_"SHUT UP!" Gale's fist struck out, and then all Catherine could see was red as her nose crunched under the blow and blood splattered across her face. It dripped down her chin and onto her cream colored blouse. Catherine choked back a sob as she tried to wipe the liquid from her eyes, carefully to avoid brushing her nose. It wasn't the first time her husband had broken it, but the pain didn't lessen. _

_"Now look what you did," he snarled at her. "Now that shirt is ruined."_

_And then he was on her, ripping at her shirt and telling her how stupid she was. The button on her jeans was popped off and a hand was in her underwear. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Her face was on the countertop and his hand was tight around her throat. Why don't you think, Catherine? And he was inside of her and it hurt so bad and she was still so stupid and the blood in her mouth made her want to vomit and she could barely breath and please stop it hurts so much please I won't be stupid anymore I'm sorry._

_"Clean yourself up," he spat at her once he was finished. Her body crumpled to the ground. "You look disgusting."_

_Gale splashed some water on his face and took out his cell phone as she laid there, naked on the bathroom floor of the mall, with a busted nose and dried blood on her lips and fresh blood between her thighs. He tapped the screen of is phone idly as she hauled herself to her feet. _

_She wet some paper towels and gingerly dabbed at her face, trying to ignore the stabs of pain and stop her body from trembling. Bruises were already beginning to form on her throat and cheek. The water in the rink ran red and she rinsed off the paper towel and began to clean between her legs. When she was finished, she looked to the ruins of her clothes and then back at her husband. _

_"Here," Gale shoved the Sears bag towards her. "Make yourself look somewhat presentable."_

_Catherine took the dress from the bag and slipped it over her head. It weighed her down like she was wearing a lead coat. She put her tattered clothes into the bag and then Gale grabbed it from her, shoving it deep into the trash can. _

_"You know I don't like this," he told her as they left the restroom, his voice gentler now. "I don't want to treat you like this. You're just such a goddamn idiot sometimes, Madge."_

_"I know," Catherine muttered as he grabbed her hand and led her through the mall. A strand of blonde hair fell into her face and she resisted the urge to rip it from her scalp. "I know, Gale."_

* * *

**I've had this chapter written since the beginning. It is the backbone of this entire fic, and almost the hardest one to write. Any confusion you have will be cleared up next chapter, I promise.**

**xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

**All confusion will be cleared up in this chapter. Thanks to my tremendous beta, wollaston, for her help with this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve.**

**August 13th, 2013**

Peeta did not say a word as Katniss told him her story. His eyes stayed locked on hers, though he did not move or speak throughout the entirety of her monologue. When she promised to tell him everything, he was not prepared for how much 'everything' would entail.

"I met my...my husband the day I graduated from high school," Katniss started. "His name is Gale Hawthorne...I can't really remember what drew me to him, other than the fact that he called me gorgeous. No one had ever said that to be before. He made me feel so special, like I was the only girl he'd ever seen, you know? He insisted on having me, and it wasn't like I had any family around to object. We got married two months later.

"But I wasn't the only girl he'd ever seen. He had been living in Arizona for two years before he met me, and he was dating a girl while he was there. Her name was Madge Undersee, and he was infatuated with her."

Katniss remembered the first time she had been in Gale's house. There were framed pictures of the beautiful blonde all over the place. She had found an album in one of the drawers in his bedroom and flipped through it. It contained picture after picture of her, some including her and Gale in a close embrace or a kiss. The last page of the article had a cutout from a newspaper, and in the small black and white print she could make out the details of Madge's suicide.

"Four days after she killed herself, Gale moved back home to Long Island. He stayed with his mother for a few weeks before moving out and renting a small house a few towns away. I still don't know how he ended up at my graduation; I never asked, and I doubt he would've told me. But once he saw me, it was like he sunk his teeth into me and was never letting go.

"You see, one of my friends had convinced me to dye my hair blonde before graduation. I guess doing so made me look an awful lot like Madge, so much so that Gale began to see me _as_ her. When he got particularly drunk or angry, he would call be by her name. He made sure I kept dying my hair blonde every month so that it wouldn't turn back to its natural brown. I would buy the same box of hair dye every time I went shopping, and he would check the receipts to make sure. It was his way of keeping her with him forever, except it was just me."

Katniss shook her head sadly and wiped at her eyes.

"And he was so possessive. At first I mistook his actions as protective, and I thought it was endearing that someone would care so much about me when no one had for so long. I welcomed the glares he would give to other men who looked at me while we were at dinner, out shopping. But then the glares turned on me, if I smiled at our male waiter or made small talk with a cashier. He would ask if I wanted to leave him, if he wasn't good enough. I never understood his insecurities, but I brushed them off. It wasn't until he, uh...until he hit me that I began to realize that something was wrong."

She told Peeta about the night of the Super Bowl when Gale had chased her through the house and slammed her against the wall. She told him about the times when dinner would be cold and his foot would find her ribs, or how each day he'd given her a meager stipend for groceries and freak out when she went even a few dollars over budget, even if it was only because she needed tampons.

And she gritted her teeth and recounted how her husband had raped her in the public bathroom of their local shopping mall.

"I was so scared that I'd get pregnant," she whispered brokenly to Peeta. "He didn't, uh, use anything that time and I was late-" Her voice broke off in a hiccup. "I never prayed so hard in my life. I prayed that I wasn't pregnant because if I was I knew that I'd have to terminate it. It killed me inside, but how could I raise a child with a monster as a father?"

Katniss took a few seconds to control her breathing and wipe at her eyes. "Anyway, um, a few weeks later I was getting groceries and there was this worker who was obviously stoned out of his mind. I was watching him as I shopped because it was just funny to watch, you know? But then he got this phone call and all off a sudden he got really serious and focused and was talking really rushed. I just stood there, pretending to compare two different cartons of strawberries, listening to him discuss this drug he was starting to sell.

"It was called 'nightlock', and he said it was supposed to act as the new form of roofies. The first thing I thought of when I heard that was Gale. I wondered if it would work on him."

She crossed the room, rummaged through her bag and withdrew a small plastic baggie that contained only a single purple sphere.

"It took me a while to work up the nerve. Then I had to start planning. I'd been thinking about it for months, years even, but I had no actual plan of how to escape him. I had no job, no money other than what he gave me for groceries. My only friend was an elderly woman across the street, Effie, and I'd never dream of including her in any of my affairs. So I started out small.

"I began taking coins from under the couch cushions and in those little dishes they put on the counters and delis and then exchanging them for bills at the store. It took months, but finally I had enough to buy a bus ticket and what I hoped was enough nightlock to knock Gale out while I left."

Katniss took the small sphere out from the bag and rolled it around in her hand.

"It wasn't enough."

She had everything planned out, down to the very minute. She switched out her normal blonde hair dye for red, confident that Gale wouldn't ask to see her receipts until after dinner, by which time she would have already been gone, and cornered the stoner boy after she shopped. He reluctantly sold her the drug, and she raced home to prepare dinner.

Everything was done right. Her leather bag, filled with just a few sets of clothes, was stowed under the floorboards in their bedroom. The hair dye was tucked below the sink, inside an old box of tampons. Gale's favorite meal, roast turkey, was sitting on the table next to his bottle of Michelob Ultra. She had just mixed in the crushed substance when she heard the front door opening.

* * *

_May 19th, 2013_

_"Hi, baby!" she said cheerfully, trying to disguise the tremor in her voice. "Dinner's on the table, I know you must be starving."_

_Gale pulled her in for a long kiss and smacked her rear. "That's what I like to hear, Catherine."_

_He dragged her towards the kitchen and sat down without washing his hands. _

_She asked him how work was, trying to force down bites of turkey as he took gulp after gulp of his beer. Seconds turned into minutes and she began to sweat. _

That idiot boy said it would take only a few minutes to work,_ she panicked. _Even quicker if mixed with alcohol.

_"Are you alright, Catherine?" Gale asked. _

_"Oh, yes," she answered, taking a miniscule sip of her water. "Totally fine."_

_"Are you sure?" Gale put down his fork and she gulped. "Because you look awfully nervous, like there's something you aren't telling me."_

_"What? No, Gale. There's nothing wrong."_

_"Are you lying to me?" Gale pointed a finger at her accusingly. "I think you're lying to me. I thinking you're keeping something from me."_

_"Seriously, Gale, what would I have to keep from you-"_

_"Bring me the receipt," he demanded. She paled. _

_"What?"_

_"The fucking receipt from Stop & Shop, bring it to me now."_

_She slowly rose from the table but made no move to go get the paper. "Gale, let's just finish eating dinner and then I'll show you the receipt. Here, let me get you another bee-"_

_"Catherine!" Gale roared, lunging at her. He slammed her against the table, her head hitting the edge of her plate. "What are you keeping from me?"_

_"Nothing, I swear!"_

_"Liar!" He slapped her across the face. "Goddamn you, Madge, always causing a problem when we're trying to enjoy a nice time."_

_"That's not my name," she whimpered, struggling beneath him. Her fingers crawled along the table, searching. _

_"Why couldn't you just bring me the receipt, Madge? I would have just looked it over as usual and there wouldn't have been a problem."_

_"That's _not_ my _name_," she repeated, growing louder._

_"But there would have been a problem, right? Because you're hiding something from me like the sneaky little bitch you are, Madge-"_

"I SAID THAT'S NOT MY FUCKING NAME!"

_Her fingers found purchase on the knife she had been using to cut the turkey and she drove it up into Gale's stomach. He gasped and loosened his grip, allowing her to shove him off her and onto the floor. He groaned, and made a move to grab her leg, but she quickly took a plate from the table and slammed it down on top of his head. _

* * *

Katniss squished the nightlock in her palm and sprinkled the dust at her feet.

"That knocked him out good, better than this stupid thing," she told Peeta. "I hightailed it out of there as quickly as I could. I grabbed my bag and the hair dye, stole some bills out of Gale's wallet, and was out the door. I hopped the fence in the backyard and sprinted down the road until I reached the highway."

She ran her fingers across her braid and gave it a light tug.

"I was able to hitchhike into Nassau County before the driver started asking questions. I jumped out and ran into department store, and in their bathroom I took the scissors I had stowed in my bag and cut about six inches off of my hair. Once that was done, I applied the dye and used the toilet water to rinse it off. It didn't go as planned, and instead of turning my hair red, it turned it dark brown."

Katniss shrugged and tossed her braid over her shoulder. "I didn't mind. Gale's probably expecting me to have red hair, that is if he ever looked at that goddamn receipt. "

She continued her tale, explaining that she took the bus into New York City and from their bought her ticket to head to Florida. Her bus had been stopped by a police officer, almost giving her a heart attack.

"Gale's brother is a police officer," Katniss explained to a mute Peeta. "I thought for a minute that he had found me. But it was just some random man doing his job, I guess."

It was during the bus ride that she came up with her new name.

"Everdeen was my father's last name," she told him. "On the weekends that he didn't work, he'd take me out of the city and we'd drive upstate to Oneonta. We'd go hiking through the woods, and sometimes we'd find his favorite plant. It's a root, really, but he always loved it. It was called katniss, so I decided that's who I'd be: Katniss Everdeen."

A long, tense silence filled the space between them. Katniss' tears were gone, but her heart was still in her throat. She stared at the blonde slouched on the bed before her, willing him to say something.

"Is that all?" Peeta asked, speaking for the first time in hours. His voice was tight and he had dropped his gaze to stare at the floorboards. Katniss swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

"That's everything, Peeta, I swear on my life."

Peeta sighed, rubbing at his eyes. After a long pause, he looked up at her. "So, have you just been using me this whole time?"

Katniss balked. "Using you?"

"Yes, Katni-_Catherine_. You've been using me to hide from him this whole time, haven't you?"

The use of her real name sent a jolt of pain through her chest, and she stepped back. It sounded wrong coming from his mouth.

"No, Peeta, I-"

"I can't believe this," Peeta breathed, standing up. "This has all been an act, hasn't it? You've just been pretending to care about me, my _family_, so you could hide from him here!"

His voice was low and strained. It had taken on a tone that Katniss had never heard before, and she felt fresh tears beginning to prick at her eyes.

"Peeta, what are you talking about? I haven't been pretending! I l-"

"Please, just don't say anything right now." He held up a hand and began to back up towards the door. "Please, Catherine, I can't hear anything else."

"It's Katniss," she said weakly.

Peeta looked at her for a long time. She shook under his gaze and made a futile effort not to cry again. Eventually Peeta sighed.

"I'm sorry, Cath-Katn-" he caught himself and shook his head. "I just...I need some time to think about this right now."

He turned and opened the door. Katniss stepped after him, but he held up a hand.

"Please, just leave me alone right now. Please."

"Peeta!" she cried as he fled down the stairs. "Peeta, wait!"

He ignored her as he raced down the steps and out into the night. She followed him to the truck, crying his name as she ran.

"Peeta, please don't do this."

"Fuck, I just need to think!" Peeta yelled, as he opened the car door. He slammed it before Katniss could run to the driver's side, but she banged on the window all the same.

"Peeta, I'm begging you just stay and listen to me."

"I have listened, Katniss!" Peeta yelled. She could barely see his face through the tinted glass. "And now I'm _telling_ you to leave me alone."

Peeta shifted into gear and Katniss had only a second to jump away before he backed up and sped away down the road, leaving Katniss in the darkness, sobbing and utterly alone.

* * *

**Am I too cruel? Let me know what you thought. I'm on tumblr and AO3 as 'ohalaskayoung'. **

**Thank you all so much for reading.**

**xoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

**To all of my lovely readers and reviewers who don't get mad over little changes and decisions _I_ make regarding _my_ story, thank you. You guys are the best. Also, I wouldn't be here without the help and support of my lovely beta, wollaston.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen.**

**August 13th, 2013**

"I need to get out of here," Katniss gasped through her sobs. She turned and sprinted back into the bakery, nearly knocking over the tables as she maneuvered through the dark. When she got back to her room she slammed the door behind her and started grabbing handfuls of clothes and shoving them into her bag.

"Hey Katniss?" Rye called, knocking on her door. "Is everything okay?"

She coughed a bit to clear her throat before responding. "Yes, Rye, everything is fine."

"Okay, well, did Peeta leave? I thought I heard the car..."

"Um," she looked around her room, desperate for a story. Finding nothing other than the digital clock on her nightstand showing her that it was just before two a.m., a time where there was really no logical explanation for leaving in the middle of the night, she told him the truth. "Yeah, Peeta took the car. We had a bit of an argument and I think he just needed to calm down."

"Oh." Rye was silent for a moment. "Mommy and Daddy aren't getting a divorce, are they?"

Katniss choked out a laugh. "I don't know, Rye. I, uh...I really fucked up."

"I'm sure it couldn't be that bad." She heard a thud as Rye leaned his full weight against the door. "You're like his world, Katniss."

She slowly sank down onto the bed and dropped her head into her hands. "I lied to him, Rye. Big time."

"Did you lie about how you feel about him?"

"No, but-"

The door opened. Rye didn't comment on the state of the room as he crossed over the threshold and took a seat next to her on the mattress. He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"Then you guys can work through it."

Katniss rested her head on Rye's shoulder and sniffed. "I'm not so sure about that, Rye."

"Listen, Katniss. Why don't you get some sleep? Peeta will be back in the morning and you guys can talk it over then. Everything will be fine."

When she didn't say anything, Rye squeezed her tight and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I promise, Katniss. It'll all be okay."

* * *

Katniss awoke to the sound of customers in the bakery. She sat up quickly and threw on some fresh clothes before bounding down the steps. Haymitch was tending to the counter, so she headed for the kitchen without a second thought. She opened the door, Peeta's name on her lips, but stopped short when she saw that it was only Rye who was bent over, pulling a tray out of the oven.

Her heart lurched, and she immediately backtracked out of the kitchen, trying not to alert him to her presence. Katniss immediately ran to look out of one of the windows, and her heart stopped beating altogether when she saw that the truck still wasn't back.

"It's madness out there, isn't it?"

Katniss spun around to face the woman who spoke to her, hoping she wouldn't notice her ashen face.

"Excuse me?"

"The town," the woman said, adjusting the baby on her hip and motioning out the window. "This is really the only day it gets like this."

Katniss peered out the window, and sure enough the streets were packed with people; families, street vendors, even a DJ. She had been too preoccupied with Peeta's whereabouts to even notice them.

"What's going on?" she found herself asking. It looked as if they were closing off the roadways, making it A) impossible for Peeta to return and B) impossible for her to leave.

"It's Reaping Day!" the woman explained. "Back in 1905, when the town was founded, no one could decide who would be in charge. So our ancestors held what was called a Reaping, where they put the names of all those eligible in a big bowl and picked a name out in front of everybody." She straightened her shoulders and spoke proudly. "It was my great-great-great uncle who was picked. Jackson Panem. He did such a great job they even named the town after him."

"Sounds great," Katniss muttered, peering out the window again. The woman bid her a goodbye, but she barely heard her. Her eyes were glued to the empty space next to the bakery where the truck should be.

_Peeta will be back in the morning and you guys can talk it over then,_ Rye had said.

_Everything will be fine_.

Katniss stepped back away from the window just as the last customer left the bakery. Haymitch called to her as she moved to the counter.

"Flip the sign closed for me, would ya, sweetheart?"

She paused, quirking an eyebrow. "We're closing? It's only eleven o'clock."

"It's Reaping Day," he said by means of explanation. "We're taking half a day and then joining in on the festivities. I need to pick up a few supplies myself, as soon as the boy gets back with the damn truck."

Katniss gulped, her face flushing. "Oh," was all she could muster. Haymitch looked at her strangely.

"It's not like Peeta to take off like that. Any idea where he went?"

"None at all," she whispered. It was the truth. "I wish I did."

"Hmph," Haymitch grunted. "Strange."

Katniss nodded quickly and escaped up the stairs. She flew into her room and hastily resumed packing her things. It didn't take long, given her small amount of possessions, but it took just long enough to give Rye enough time to corner her.

"So, you're really going then?" he asked as she folded up her last shirt. Katniss jumped a foot in the air and turned around.

"Were you even going to say goodbye?"

Katniss sighed and gave the room a once-over. It was as bare as the day she had moved in all those months ago. Rye crossed the threshold.

"How did you know I was going?" she whispered, staring at the ground.

"I overheard you talking to Haymitch, and you sounded a little strange. Plus, Peeta never did come home. I figured you'd take that as a sign and beeline it out of here."

"Well, you were right," Katniss said. "I need to go, Rye. You don't understand."

"Katniss, please don't go. We love you. You're a part of our family now. Don't run away just because things got a little tough."

She blinked back tears as she answered. "You know I-I love you guys, too. Truly, I do. But I can't stay. Please don't make me."

Rye stared her down for a moment before pulling her into a tight hug. "Be safe, okay Katniss?"

She let out a deep breath and her whole body relaxed before squeezing him back. "I'll try."

"You know you can always come back, right? You'll always be welcome here."

"Thank you, Rye," she choked out. _I sincerely doubt that._

He pulled away and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I wish you the best, Katniss. Really. And, uh," his lips quirked up into a smile, "It was really nice to have a sister."

Katniss returned his smile and wiped away a tear that had escaped from her left eye. "And it was really nice to have a brother as well."

He let her go. She walked past him down the steps, into the empty bakery. Haymitch was nowhere to be found, and although Katniss would have liked to say goodbye to him, she he would've tried to convince her to stay. She walked out the front door and heard the bells jingle for the last time. The streets were mobbed, and she knew there would be no traffic in or out of the town for the rest of the day. So she headed to the place where she knew she could avoid the commotion and take a shortcut to the highway.

The woods.

* * *

The woman behind the Rent-A-Car counter looked up at him with contempt.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we are completely booked. There's nothing I can do but take your name and wait for an available vehicle."

"But how is that going to help me _now_?" Gale seethed. His flight from LAX to Charlotte Douglas International had been delayed four hours due to rain, and the entire flight had been extremely turbulent. It didn't help matters that he had just found out that the past two weeks of his life had been an utter waste. The Trinket woman had lied through her teeth about Catherine's whereabouts.

"Sir, there's nothing I can d-"

Gale shoved off the counter with a growl and stalked through the crowds. He stomped into the parking lot and looked around. There was a couple dragging three young children and about two tons of luggage to a dirty beige minivan, a gaggle of twenty-something women arm-in-arm strutting towards a shiny BMW, and a business man talking loudly into his cell phone and loading a suitcase into the back of a sports car. Gale's eyes narrowed. He jogged over to the Buick in the slot a few spaces over.

"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Hey, could you help me out a second?"

The business man ended his call and jogged over to Gale. "Sure, man, what do you need?"

"I think there's something stuck in my exhaust pipe. I'd look for myself but I've got a bad knee and can't really bend right now."

"No problem," the man said. He hiked up his pants and crouched down. Gale peered around the parking lot.

"I don't see anythi-" _Crack._

Gale slammed the man's head against the bumper of the car and he slumped to the ground, unconscious. He looked around again to make sure no one had seen, and then fished the man's keys from his pocket. He took the suitcase out of the trunk and laid it by the man's side.

"Thanks," he said to him with a grim smile.

Gale hopped into the car and nearly shook with anticipation as it revved to life. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled picture of Catherine.

"Just a few more hours," he told her. "Just a few more hours and you'll be all mine."

He pulled out of the parking lot and turned on the car's GPS. When it asked for the location, he spoke with an excited tremor in his voice.

"Panem, North Carolina."

* * *

**It will get happier soon, at least for a little while. I promise.**

**Come chat with me on tumblr or AO3:'ohalaskayoung'.**

**xoxo**


	15. Chapter 15

**I really love this chapter. Try and guess why!**

**Much love to wollaston for her help with this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen.**

**August 13th, 2013**

The front door of the bakery slammed open and then closed too quickly for the bells to jingle. Heavy footsteps rattled the walls and Rye quickly sprinted down the stairs. Peeta looked like he had been dragged through hell and came out kicking and screaming. He was still in his clothes from the day before, now wrinkled beyond belief, and his eyes were swollen and bloodshot. His hair stood up like he had been electrocuted, and he scowled when Rye came into view.

"Rough night, man?" Rye said lightly, helping himself to a sugar cookie.

"I'm not in the mood, Rye."

Peeta tried to step towards the stairs, but his brother moved in front of him.

"Get out of my way, Rye."

"I think you should sit down for a bit," Rye said through a mouthful of cookie.

"No, I need to talk to Katniss."

"Well, tough shit, because she's not here."

Peeta stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean she's not here? Where did she go?"

"She left," Rye said nonchalantly. "Packed her stuff and left about half an hour ago. You just missed her."

"I...I...just..._missed_ her?" Peeta choked out. "Wha- how-?"

"Listen to me, baby brother." Rye poked Peeta in the chest. "I don't know what happened between you two. Hell, I'm not even sure that I want to know. But what I do know is that you two love each other. You're perfect for each other, and you can't throw that away because of some fight."

"it wasn't _'some_ _fight'_," Peeta protested. "She-"

"I don't care!" Rye yelled. "Goddamn it, Peeta, get your head out of your ass! She's the best thing that's ever happen to you- to all of us! You're going to lose the love of your life because you're too stubborn to talk it out?"

"And what do you know about love, huh?" Peeta shouted back. "You've been pining over a married man for years!"

The words hung in the air, freezing the red faced boys in their places. Their chests were heaving with heavy, angered breaths. Rye showed no sign of surprise at the words. After a beat, he sighed.

"How long have you known?"

Peeta dropped his gaze. "Since we went to the grand opening of their store."

No one had ever seemed to question Rye Mellark's sexuality. He'd dated a few girls in high school and had flirted with anything in a skirt since he could talk. When Peeta had realized that his brother had feelings for another man- Finnick Odair, no less - he had decided not to bring it up until Rye did, no matter how shocked he was.

"And, uh, why didn't you ever say anything?"

Peeta shook his head. "It wasn't my right to say anything."

Rye blew out a long breath. He had been living with the secret for almost five years. "So, you don't mind? Me being...?"

"Gay?" Peeta supplied. "Are you kidding me, man? Why would I mind? More girls for me, right?"

"Bi," Rye corrected. "I still dig chicks, bro."

The two brothers laughed for a moment before Peeta sobered up.

"Shit," he groaned, running his hands through his hair. "I fucked up so bad."

Rye threw an arm around Peeta's shoulder. "Come on now, Peeta, this ain't nothin' a good tumble in the sack won't fix."

"Piss off." Peeta shrugged him off. "There won't be any tumbles anywhere if I can't find her. I need to go now."

"Well, how are you going to get to her? If I know Katniss, she's trying to get to the highway from the woods and hitchhike her way out of town. If you take the car you won't be able to get through the roads and walking would take too long."

Peeta started pacing. "I know. I just need something fast and easy to maneuver."

"Peeta."

"I just can't believe how stupid I was. I was so _mean_ to her, Rye."

"_Peeta_."

"She opened up to me and I _judged_ her. _I drove her away_."

"_Peeta_ _Mellark_!" Rye grabbed him by the shoulders. "Think for a second!"

Peeta's brow furrowed, then smoothed out just as quickly. "My bike!" he gasped.

"You kept it for a reason, right?"

He let out a shaky breath and tried to smile. "I guess so."

Miraculously, the Ducati roared to life. Peeta straddled the seat nervously and looked up at Rye. "I'm sorry, you know. For what I said before. I was out of line."

Rye ducked his head awkwardly. "I know, Peeta."

"And thank you. For everything."

"Don't get all sappy on me." Rye slapped Peeta's helmet. "Now go and get your woman back."

Peeta smiled and snapped down the visor on his helmet. He revved the engine once and Rye moved out of the way. Peeta revved it once more and then sped out down the street, weaving through the people out of sight and towards the woods.

* * *

A young man on a motorcycle whizzed past the sports car as it tried to force its way into the small town. Angry citizens shouted at the driver as they rushed to get out of his way. Gale Hawthorne flipped off each one without hesitation, and then took a swig from the bottle of brandy under the passenger seat.

"Just my luck," he grumbled as he parked. Twin girls sprinted past his door just as he was about to open it, and he caught himself at the last second. When the coast was clear, he stepped out and peered across the street. His stomach grumbled and he looked around. When he was hungry, he was cranky, and he didn't want to be in a bad mood when he was finally reunited with Catherine. He ran his fingers through his hair and headed across the street towards the bakery.

The door of _Mellark & Sons_ was stuck, and Gale shook the handle feverishly. After a few seconds, the door swung open and a disgruntled looking blonde man stood in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we're closed right now."

Gale's eyebrows furrowed. "Listen, buddy, I haven't eaten in almost twenty-four hours."

"That's quite unfortunate," the man said calmly, "but we happen to be closed. There are a lot of street vendors around, and I'm sure you can buy some food from some of them."

Gale looked over his shoulder.

"What's going on, anyway?"

"It's Reaping Day. A town celebration." The man tilted his head and looked at Gale strangely. "What brings you around here?"

"I'm looking for my wife. She was on a road trip to visit a friend of ours in Georgia. I was supposed to follow in a few days after I finished up a few things with work, but she called me last night and said that she was having a bit of car trouble and had stopped here. I came as fast as I could."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the young man said. "What's your wife's name? Perhaps I can tell you her whereabouts."

"Her name is Catherine. Catherine Hawthorne." Gale fished the picture of her out of his pocket, trying to contain his glee. "She just dyed her hair a few days before she left. It's red now."

The man stared at the photo for a few seconds. He pictured the blonde woman with red hair and felt no spark of recognition. And then he pictured her with brown hair, braided over her shoulder and smiling as she rang up a customer. Laughing as she flicked flour at Peeta. Crying into his shoulder the night before. Walking out of the bakery, frazzled and worried. A pit formed in his stomach and he swallowed thickly.

"Nope. Sorry, man, I haven't seen her. But hey, she's quite the looker." He returned the photo to Gale with a wink.

Gale pocketed it quickly. His bad mood was back. "Yeah, she is. Hey, thanks anyway. Enjoy your celebration."

The man watched as Gale retreated to his car and slammed his fist angrily on the steering wheel. Slowly, the man closed the bakery door and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number and groaned when it immediately went to voicemail.

"Hey, Peeta, listen...Some guy just tried to get into the bakery and he asked me to help him find his wife. I don't know what's going on, but...I think Katniss is in trouble."

* * *

**I'm going to throw you guys a bone and let you know that there is some major Everlark coming up next chapter. Finally!**

**I'd love to hear your opinions on this chapter. Drop me a review or come chat with me on tumblr or AO3: 'ohalaskayoung'**

**You guys rock.**

**xoxo**


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